The 1st Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Worcester Country Club

Worcester Country Club

Worcester Country Club is a golf course in Worcester, Massachusetts. The course hosted the first Ryder Cup in 1927, and was the site of the 1925 U.S. Open, which was won by Willie Macfarlane. It is the only golf course in the United States to host all three events: the Men's and Women's U.S. Open...

 in Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

.
The United States team won the competition by a score of 9½–2½ points. USA Captain Walter Hagen

Walter Hagen

Walter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on...

 became the first winning captain to lift the Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

. Samuel Ryder

Samuel Ryder

Samuel Ryder was an English businessman, entrepreneur, golf enthusiast, and golf promoter. He originated the idea of selling garden seeds in "penny packets" and built a very successful business on the concept...

, the competitions founder was unable to be present at Worcester Country Club

Worcester Country Club

Worcester Country Club is a golf course in Worcester, Massachusetts. The course hosted the first Ryder Cup in 1927, and was the site of the 1925 U.S. Open, which was won by Willie Macfarlane. It is the only golf course in the United States to host all three events: the Men's and Women's U.S. Open...

 for the inaugural event due to ill health at the time.

Format

The Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

 is a match play

Match play

Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...

 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, 6½ points were required to win the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 36 holes.

Teams

  Team USA

• Walter Hagen
  Walter Hagen
  Walter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on...
  
   — Captain
• Johnny Farrell
  Johnny Farrell
  John Joseph Farrell was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1928 U.S. Open.Farrell was born in White Plains, New York. He turned professional in 1922.In 1928, Farrell won the U.S. Open...
  
  
• Gene Sarazen
  Gene Sarazen
  Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s. He is one of five golfers to win all the current major championships in his career, the Career Grand Slam:U.S...
  
  
• Leo Diegel
• Johnny Golden
• Joe Turnesa
• Al Watrous
  Al Watrous
  Albert Andrew Watrous was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1920s and 1930s....
  
  
• Bill Mehlhorn
  Bill Mehlhorn
  William Earl Mehlhorn was an American golfer who played on the PGA Tour in its early days, and was at his best in the 1920s....
  
  

  Team Great Britain Ted Ray

Ted Ray (golfer)

Edward R. G. "Ted" Ray was a British professional golfer born on the Isle of Jersey. He won two major championships and contended in many others during the early years of the 20th century.-Biography:...

 — Captain George Duncan

George Duncan (golfer)

George Duncan was a Scottish professional golfer.Duncan was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire. He was first apprenticed as a carpenter and rejected a chance to become a professional footballer at Aberdeen to become a golf professional...

 Arthur Havers

Arthur Havers

Arthur Gladstone Havers was an English professional golfer who won the 1923 Open Championship at Royal Troon.Havers was born in Norwich, England. He had first qualified for the Open in 1914 at the age of sixteen...

 Aubrey Boomer Fred Robson Archie Compston

Archie Compston

Archibald Edward Wones Compston was an English professional golfer. Through the 1920s he built a reputation as a formidable match play golfer, in an era when many professionals made more money from "challenge" matches against fellow pros, or wealthy amateurs, than from tournament golf.Compston was...

 Herbert Jolly Charles Whitcombe

Charles Whitcombe

Charles Whitcombe was the second of the three Whitcombe brothers who were all successful English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s and - despite never winning The Open Championship like his younger brother Reg - could be considered the most prominent of the three, winning the British PGA...

 George Gadd
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

Harry Vardon

Harry Vardon was a Jersey professional golfer and member of the fabled Great Triumvirate of the sport in his day, along with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. He won The Open Championship a record six times and also won the U.S. Open.-Biography:Vardon was born in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands...

, J.H. Taylor and James Braid

James Braid (golfer)

James Braid was a Scottish professional golfer and a member of the Great Triumvirate of the sport alongside Harry Vardon and John Henry Taylor. He won The Open Championship five times...

. 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

Abe Mitchell

Henry Abraham Mitchell was an English professional golfer.Mitchell was born in East Grinstead, Sussex. He was runner-up in the 1912 Amateur Championship, losing to John Ball on the second extra hole...

 instead of Jolly. Later in March it was announced that Abe Mitchell

Abe Mitchell

Henry Abraham Mitchell was an English professional golfer.Mitchell was born in East Grinstead, Sussex. He was runner-up in the 1912 Amateur Championship, losing to John Ball on the second extra hole...

 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. However, with the team a man short, the PGA Secretary Percy Perrins recruited Jolly who sailed on a later boat and arrived in New York four days after the rest of the team.

Friday's foursome matches

	Results
Ray Ted Ray (golfer) Edward R. G. "Ted" Ray was a British professional golfer born on the Isle of Jersey. He won two major championships and contended in many others during the early years of the 20th century.-Biography:... /Robson	2 & 1	Hagen Walter Hagen Walter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on... /Golden
Duncan George Duncan (golfer) George Duncan was a Scottish professional golfer.Duncan was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire. He was first apprenticed as a carpenter and rejected a chance to become a professional footballer at Aberdeen to become a golf professional... /Compston Archie Compston Archibald Edward Wones Compston was an English professional golfer. Through the 1920s he built a reputation as a formidable match play golfer, in an era when many professionals made more money from "challenge" matches against fellow pros, or wealthy amateurs, than from tournament golf.Compston was...	8 & 6	Farrell Johnny Farrell John Joseph Farrell was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1928 U.S. Open.Farrell was born in White Plains, New York. He turned professional in 1922.In 1928, Farrell won the U.S. Open... /Turnesa
Havers Arthur Havers Arthur Gladstone Havers was an English professional golfer who won the 1923 Open Championship at Royal Troon.Havers was born in Norwich, England. He had first qualified for the Open in 1914 at the age of sixteen... /Jolly	3 & 2	Sarazen Gene Sarazen Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s. He is one of five golfers to win all the current major championships in his career, the Career Grand Slam:U.S... /Watrous Al Watrous Albert Andrew Watrous was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1920s and 1930s....
Boomer/Whitcombe Charles Whitcombe Charles Whitcombe was the second of the three Whitcombe brothers who were all successful English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s and - despite never winning The Open Championship like his younger brother Reg - could be considered the most prominent of the three, winning the British PGA...	7 & 5	Diegel/Mehlhorn Bill Mehlhorn William Earl Mehlhorn was an American golfer who played on the PGA Tour in its early days, and was at his best in the 1920s....
1	Session	3
1	Overall	3

Saturday's singles matches

	Results
Archie Compston Archie Compston Archibald Edward Wones Compston was an English professional golfer. Through the 1920s he built a reputation as a formidable match play golfer, in an era when many professionals made more money from "challenge" matches against fellow pros, or wealthy amateurs, than from tournament golf.Compston was...	1 hole	Bill Mehlhorn Bill Mehlhorn William Earl Mehlhorn was an American golfer who played on the PGA Tour in its early days, and was at his best in the 1920s....
Aubrey Boomer	5 & 4	Johnny Farrell Johnny Farrell John Joseph Farrell was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1928 U.S. Open.Farrell was born in White Plains, New York. He turned professional in 1922.In 1928, Farrell won the U.S. Open...
Herbert Jolly	8 & 7	Johnny Golden
Ted Ray Ted Ray (golfer) Edward R. G. "Ted" Ray was a British professional golfer born on the Isle of Jersey. He won two major championships and contended in many others during the early years of the 20th century.-Biography:...	7 & 5	Leo Diegel
Charles Whitcombe Charles Whitcombe Charles Whitcombe was the second of the three Whitcombe brothers who were all successful English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s and - despite never winning The Open Championship like his younger brother Reg - could be considered the most prominent of the three, winning the British PGA...	halved	Gene Sarazen Gene Sarazen Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s. He is one of five golfers to win all the current major championships in his career, the Career Grand Slam:U.S...
Arthur Havers Arthur Havers Arthur Gladstone Havers was an English professional golfer who won the 1923 Open Championship at Royal Troon.Havers was born in Norwich, England. He had first qualified for the Open in 1914 at the age of sixteen...	2 & 1	Walter Hagen Walter Hagen Walter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on...
Fred Robson	3 & 2	Al Watrous Al Watrous Albert Andrew Watrous was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1920s and 1930s....
George Duncan George Duncan (golfer) George Duncan was a Scottish professional golfer.Duncan was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire. He was first apprenticed as a carpenter and rejected a chance to become a professional footballer at Aberdeen to become a golf professional...	1 hole	Joe Turnesa
1½	Session	6½
2½	Overall	9½