1927 Ryder Cup
Golf tournament in Massachusetts, U.S.; first Ryder Cup
title: "1927 Ryder Cup" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ryder-cup", "golf-tournaments-in-massachusetts", "sports-competitions-in-worcester,-massachusetts", "1927-in-golf", "1927-in-american-sports", "1927-in-sports-in-massachusetts", "june-1927-sports-events-in-the-united-states"] description: "Golf tournament in Massachusetts, U.S.; first Ryder Cup" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1927_Ryder_Cup" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Golf tournament in Massachusetts, U.S.; first Ryder Cup ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox team golf tournament"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Ryder Cup |
| year | 1927 |
| dates | June 3–4, 1927 |
| venue | Worcester Country Club |
| location | Worcester, Massachusetts |
| home | USA |
| away | Great Britain |
| homecaptain | Walter Hagen |
| awaycaptain | Ted Ray |
| homescore | 9 |
| awayscore | 2 |
| result | United States wins |
| :: |
| name = Ryder Cup | year = 1927 | logo = | dates = June 3–4, 1927 | venue = Worcester Country Club | location = Worcester, Massachusetts | home = USA | away = Great Britain | homecaptain = Walter Hagen | awaycaptain = Ted Ray | homescore = 9 | awayscore = 2 | result = United States wins |USA |relief = 1 |label = Worcester CC |lat = 42.323 |long = -71.781 |caption = Location in the United States |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 240 |USA Massachusetts |relief = 1 |label = Worcester CC |lat = 42.323 |long = -71.781 |caption = Location in Massachusetts |marksize = 5 |position = bottom |float = |background = |width = 180 The 1st Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts. The first competition was dominated by the United States who won by the then landslide score of 9–2 points. USA Captain Walter Hagen became the first winning captain to lift the Ryder Cup. Samuel Ryder, the competition's founder was unable to be present at Worcester Country Club for the inaugural event due to ill health at the time. Ted Ray was the first captain to represent the Great Britain team.
Format
The Ryder Cup is a match play golf event, with each match worth one point. From this inaugural event through 1959, the format consisted of 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches on the first day and 8 singles matches on the second day, for a total of 12 points. Therefore, 6 points were required to win the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 36 holes.
Teams
Source: ::data[format=table]
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Walter Hagen – captain | 34 |
| Leo Diegel | 28 |
| Al Espinosa | 36 |
| Johnny Farrell | 26 |
| Johnny Golden | 31 |
| Bill Mehlhorn | 28 |
| Gene Sarazen | 25 |
| Joe Turnesa | 26 |
| Al Watrous | 28 |
| :: |
::data[format=table]
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Jersey Ted Ray – captain | 50 |
| Jersey Aubrey Boomer | 29 |
| ENG Archie Compston | 34 |
| SCO George Duncan | 43 |
| ENG George Gadd | 37 |
| ENG Arthur Havers | 28 |
| [[File:Old Flag of Guernsey.svg | border |
| ENG Fred Robson | 42 |
| ENG Charles Whitcombe | 31 |
| :: |
A sub-committee of the Professional Golfers' Association was appointed to choose the Great Britain team for the first official Ryder Cup. This consisted of Harry Vardon, J.H. Taylor and James Braid. In March 1927 an initial group of 9 players was selected to represent Great Britain. These consisted of the above 9 players but with Abe Mitchell instead of Jolly. Later in March it was announced that Abe Mitchell would be the captain of the team. However, in May, his health gave some concern. It was eventually decided that he was unfit to travel. Later he was operated on for appendicitis.
Seven members of the team left on the Aquitania on May 21, Boomer being picked up in Cherbourg. Ray was appointed the new captain. George Philpot, editor of the British Golf Illustrated magazine, was the team manager and travelled with the team. With the team a man short, the PGA Secretary Percy Perrins recruited Jolly who sailed on a later boat, the Majestic, and arrived in New York on May 31, four days after the rest of the team.
Friday's foursome matches
::data[format=table]
| GBR | Results | USA | 1 | Overall | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray/Robson | USA 2 & 1 | Hagen/Golden | |||
| Duncan/Compston | USA 8 & 6 | Farrell/Turnesa | |||
| Havers/Jolly | USA 3 & 2 | Sarazen/Watrous | |||
| Boomer/Whitcombe | GBR 7 & 5 | Diegel/Mehlhorn | |||
| 1 | Session | 3 | |||
| :: |
Saturday's singles matches
::data[format=table]
| GBR | Results | USA | 2 | Overall | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archie Compston | USA 1 up | Bill Mehlhorn | |||
| Aubrey Boomer | USA 5 & 4 | Johnny Farrell | |||
| Herbert Jolly | USA 8 & 7 | Johnny Golden | |||
| Ted Ray | USA 7 & 5 | Leo Diegel | |||
| Charles Whitcombe | halved | Gene Sarazen | |||
| Arthur Havers | USA 2 & 1 | Walter Hagen | |||
| Fred Robson | USA 3 & 2 | Al Watrous | |||
| George Duncan | GBR 1 up | Joe Turnesa | |||
| 1 | Session | 6 | |||
| :: |
Individual player records
Each entry refers to the win–loss–half record of the player.
Source:
United States
::data[format=table] | Player | Points || Overall | Singles | Foursomes | |---|---|---|---| | Leo Diegel | 1 | 1–1–0 | 1–0–0 | | Johnny Farrell | 2 | 2–0–0 | 1–0–0 | | Johnny Golden | 2 | 2–0–0 | 1–0–0 | | Walter Hagen | 2 | 2–0–0 | 1–0–0 | | Bill Mehlhorn | 1 | 1–1–0 | 1–0–0 | | Gene Sarazen | 1.5 | 1–0–1 | 0–0–1 | | Joe Turnesa | 1 | 1–1–0 | 0–1–0 | | Al Watrous | 2 | 2–0–0 | 1–0–0 | ::
Al Espinosa did not play in any matches.
Great Britain
::data[format=table]
| Player | Points | Overall | Singles | Foursomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aubrey Boomer | 1 | 1–1–0 | 0–1–0 | 1–0–0 |
| Archie Compston | 0 | 0–2–0 | 0–1–0 | 0–1–0 |
| George Duncan | 1 | 1–1–0 | 1–0–0 | 0–1–0 |
| Arthur Havers | 0 | 0–2–0 | 0–1–0 | 0–1–0 |
| Herbert Jolly | 0 | 0–2–0 | 0–1–0 | 0–1–0 |
| Ted Ray | 0 | 0–2–0 | 0–1–0 | 0–1–0 |
| Fred Robson | 0 | 0–2–0 | 0–1–0 | 0–1–0 |
| Charles Whitcombe | 1.5 | 1–0–1 | 0–0–1 | 1–0–0 |
| :: |
George Gadd did not play in any matches.
References
References
- "2016 Ryder Cup Media Guide".
- "A Professional Selection Committee". ''The Times'', Wednesday, March 2, 1927; pg. 8; Issue 44519; col B.
- "British Professional Team". ''The Times'', March 4, 1927; pg. 16; Issue 44521; col E.
- "British Professional Team". ''The Times'', March 16, 1927; pg. 6; Issue 44531; col D.
- "British Ryder Cup Team". ''The Times'', May 21, 1927; pg. 5; Issue 44587; col G.
- "The British Team for America". ''The Times'', May 23, 1927; pg. 7; Issue 44588; col A.
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