Columnist Peter Benton: Ryder Cup got its name from British seed merchant

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

It was in 1985 that the Ryder Cup altered its image and became a truly exciting match to watch.

Before then, it was a one-sided affair that the U.S. squad invariably won -- and won handsomely -- without even working up a sweat.

That changed in '85 when the European team came through with a stunning victory, the result being that of late those "ho-hum" matches are now eagerly awaited, must-see, glued-to-the-TV dramas.

The Ryder Cup matches originally developed between representatives of the American and British Golf Associations in 1926 in England. That first unofficial match was won by the Brits, 13 1/2 to 1 1/2.

At the conclusion of the highly successful exhibition, Samuel A. Ryder, a wealthy British seed merchant, donated a trophy bearing his name which was to be competed for in a series of matches between professionals of the two countries.

From the start of the series through the 1959 Ryder Cup matches, the competition was made up of four foursome matches one day and eight singles matches the other day, each at 36 holes.

In 1961, the format was changed to provide for four 18-hole foursomes the morning of the first day and four more that afternoon, then for eight 18-hole singles the morning of the second day and eight more that afternoon. As in the past, one point was at stake in each match, so the total number of points was doubled.

Then, in 1963, for the first time, a day of four-ball matches augmented the program to add new interest to the overall competition. This brought the total number of points to 32.

In 1977, the format was altered once again. This time there were five foursomes on the opening day, five four-ball matches on the second day, and 10 singles matches on the final day. This reduced the total number of points to 20.

For 1979, eligibility for the Great Britain-Ireland side was expanded to include all PGA European Tour members who are residents of European nations, and it was from this date that the matches really became competitive.

Matches these days consist of four four-ball and four foursome matches the first two days of play, with the final day's play consisting of 12 singles matches for a total of 28 points.

The U.S. leads the series, 24-8-2. However, since that European win in 1985 the U.S. record is 3-5-1.

This year both teams feature a combination of experience and youth, so you can be assured that there is some great golf awaiting us.

Victor Cohen, a nemesis to many on the links, but a true saint to anyone with allergies, garnered top honors in the C Flight after rounds of 81-74-80 -- 235. Gage Parrish followed with 246, while third at 247 was Don Dombroski, who fired 88-79-80. (The high scores recorded on the first day of play were due to strong, swirling winds.)

D Flight victor with a 84-78-84 -- 246 was Henry Buchanan. Jay Coon placed second at 255 and in third place with 262 was James Cox.

The E Flight, which was net, saw a most competitive battle before Ron Anderson finally prevailed with a 76-70-67 -- 213. Jim Bradshaw and his 70-75-72 -- 217 took runner-up honors, while in third at 76-68-75 -- 219 was Archie Rufty.