Ryder Cup Captains: List of All Those Who Have Served

The Ryder Cup tournament is played every two years and is contested by teams of male professional golfers, one team representing Europe and the other representing the United States. The event traces its roots to 1926, when Samuel Ryder, a British citizen, avid golfer, and successful businessman commissioned a trophy to serve as the prize in a proposed goodwill competition pitting British professional golfers against their American counterparts.

Ryder spent £250 (equivalent to $400 at the time) to have the trophy created. That trophy is the Ryder Cup. The trophy first appeared in public in 1927 at a send-off for the British team departing Southampton, England, and sailing for Worcester, Massachusetts, for the first Ryder Cup match. The original Ryder Cup resides with the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain & Ireland.

The List of Ryder Cup Captains

For each year listed here, the American captain is listed first, followed by the opposing captain (that would be the Great Britain captain from 1927 through 1971; Great Britain and Ireland—or GB&I—captain in 1973, 1975 and 1977; and European captain from 1979 to present).

Following the list are the records for most wins, losses and times served as captain. Note that the Team USA captain is selected by the PGA of America; the Team Europe captain is chosen by the European Tour.

Records Relating to Ryder Cup Captains

Most Times as Ryder Cup Captain:

• 6 times: Walter Hagen (1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937)
• 5 times: Dai Rees (1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1967)
• 4 times: Tony Jacklin (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989); Charles Whitcombe (1931, 1935, 1937, 1949)
• 3 times: Ben Hogan (1947, 1949, 1967), Sam Snead (1951, 1959, 1969), Bernard Gallacher (1991, 1993, 1995)

Most Wins as Ryder Cup Captain:

• Walter Hagen, 4
• Ben Hogan, 3
• Tony Jacklin, 2*
• Arnold Palmer, 2
• Sam Snead, 2

*Jacklin's overall record was 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 halve. But Europe retained the Cup in the year of the tie, so Jacklin's teams won or held the Cup three times.

Most Losses as Ryder Cup Captain:

• Dai Rees, 4
• Charles Whitcombe, 3
• Walter Hagen, 2
• Henry Cotton, 2
• Bernard Gallacher, 2
• Bernard Hunt, 2
• John Jacobs, 2

And here's one more interesting factoid: J.H. Taylor, captain of Great Britain in 1933, is the only Ryder Cup captain who never played in the competition.