Do Ryder Cup caddies get paid? All you need to know
The Ryder Cup is considered the most prestigious competition in men's golf. Since being formally introduced in 1927, 43 editions of the tournament have been held so far.
The biennial tournament, which is played for pride and honor, does not actually pay their captains or players. They do get some perks such as travel allowance, hotel stay, meals, among other benefits.
But you may ask what about their caddies? Well, they do receive some payment, although an official figure hasn't been revealed. They also get all the perks as the golfers, including travel passes and tailored clothing.
Although it is noteworthy that the caddies might make even more during some other tournament on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour, as mentioned earlier, the Ryder Cup is a matter of pride and all the individuals related to it play for honor.
What is the format of the Ryder Cup?
Unlike any other golf tournament, the Ryder Cup is a match-play matches series. The tournament goes on for three days.
On day one and day two, both the Ryder Cup team captains will select eight pairs for fourball and foursome matches. The format remains similar in the first two days with mornings having four fourballs matches and the afternoon having four foursome matches.
On day three, which is the final day of the event, Team captains will submit a list of all the players, in a sequence of their choice. Later, both lists will be compared and will have 12 singles matches.
The Ryder Cup matches offer 28 points for grabs. Each match winner will receive one point and in case of a tie, 0.5 points will be offered to both teams.
For the defending team, an aggregate total of 14 points will help them retain the title. But for an outright win, any of the two teams need 14.5 points.
Exploring previous winners of the Ryder Cup
In the 43 editions of the prestigious biennial event, the United States team has had an edge over its European counterpart since its inception. They have registered 27 wins and two 2 ties so far in the tournament's history.
Initially, the Ryder Cup was played between the United States and Great Britain, which continued till 1971. Thereafter, Great Britain was renamed as the Great Britain & Ireland Team and played the next three editions until 1977.
Since the 1979 edition, the team of Great Britain & Ireland, was renamed as Europe.
Below are the previous 10 winners of the event:
- 2021 - United States
- 2018 - Europe
- 2016 - United States
- 2014 - Europe
- 2012 - Europe
- 2010 - Europe
- 2008 - United States
- 2006 - Europe
- 2004 - Europe
- 2002 - Europe
Although Team United States had quite a dominant record in the overall history of the tournament. However, it is noteworthy that Team Europe had a slight edge over their counterparts since 2000. They have won seven editions out of the previous 10 editions.