# Ryder Cup **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 27, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719 "2014-09-27T16:20:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/1 "2014-09-27T16:20:07Z")
I have the Ryder Cup on. Europe is up ATM. Is it mathematically possible at the Ryder Cup for a team to clinch before singles? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/2 "2014-09-27T16:52:13Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Is it mathematically possible at the Ryder Cup for a team to clinch before singles? Yes, there’s 12 points available in the singles, and 16 available in the fourballs/foursomes. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/3 "2014-09-27T16:56:03Z")
Thanks Baron. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/4 "2014-09-27T20:14:05Z")
I’m thinking this is going to be the biggest blowout in Ryder Cup history. I’m not even going to bother watching the singles tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/5 "2014-09-28T16:13:23Z")
Not worth new thread for this: I’d pick “Boom boom” as the '16 U.S. captain. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/6 "2014-09-29T13:07:50Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I’m thinking this is going to be the biggest blowout in Ryder Cup history. I’m not even going to bother watching the singles tomorrow. Well, it wasn’t, though I gather it was the most convincing win for some time - a few Americans played well on the final day (and indeed throughout). Shall I be the one to reignite the tired old debate about whether we should let the Canadians join in, to even things up a bit :). ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/7 "2014-09-29T17:07:10Z")
Lefty pays back Watson for sitting him out - [http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/phil-mickelson-tom-watson-ryder-cup-beef-argue-complaints-press-conference](http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/phil-mickelson-tom-watson-ryder-cup-beef-argue-complaints-press-conference) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/8 "2014-09-29T18:35:58Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Shall I be the one to reignite the tired old debate about whether we should let the Canadians join in, to even things up a bit :). You think Mike Weir would have played better than Bubba Watson? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/9 "2014-09-29T18:41:19Z")
Canadian players already play the President’s Cup ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/10 "2014-09-29T19:53:58Z")
Back around 1992 in the old rec.sport.golf I pointed out that Europe had a growing demographic advantage and I expected them to win at least 3/4ths of the Ryder Cup events going forward. I got jumped all over for that and the US won the next cup making my prediction look foolish. Well 20 year old rec.sport.golf thread, I told you so. 😉 Yeah, some adjustment needs to be made to even things out. Make it North and South America against Europe. Many countries could play with the US for the Ryder cup and against them in the President’s cup. It’s not like the pairings are sacred. At the same time the US is too dominant in the President’s Cup. Not sure what to do there. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryder-cup/699719/11 "2014-09-30T08:22:46Z")
I suspect the same demographic changes will mean the RoW team starts to dominate the Presidents Cup in the next 20 years. Even now, although the USA has won the vast majority of matches, one was only by a single point and another match was tied. In the last four matches the winning margin has been 5, 4, 4, and 3 points, which suggests the gap may be closing already.