Activities Sports & Athletics Ryder Cup Records: Golfers' Bests and Worsts Most Matches Won and Lost, Best All-Time W-L Records in Ryder Cup Share PINTEREST Email Print Nick Faldo appears in several categories of Ryder Cup records, and holds a few, too. Steve Munday/Getty Images Sports & Athletics Golf Golf Tournaments Basics History Gear Golf Courses Famous Golfers Baseball Basketball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Cricket Extreme Sports Football Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Brent Kelley Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. our editorial process Brent Kelley Updated August 27, 2018 These are the tournament records—all-time bests and worsts by individual golfers—in the Ryder Cup, the biennial competition between teams of professional male golfers representing the United States and Europe. You can also view the outcome of every match on the Ryder Cup results page, plus the Ryder Cup Aces and Ryder Cup Relatives pages offer interesting tidbits. (Note: Records are updated through the 2016 match.) Most Appearances EuropeNick Faldo, 11Christy O'Connor Sr., 10Bernhard Langer, 10Lee Westwood, 10Dai Rees, 9 USAPhil Mickelson, 11Jim Furyk, 9Billy Casper, 8Raymond Floyd, 8Lanny Wadkins, 8 European leader Faldo played in every Cup from 1977 through 1997. American leader Mickelson has a current streak of playing in every Cup from 1995 through 2016. Most Matches Played EuropeNick Faldo, 46Lee Westwood, 44Bernhard Langer, 42Neil Coles, 40Seve Ballesteros, 37Sergio Garcia, 37Colin Montgomerie, 36Christy O'Connor Sr., 36 USAPhil Mickelson, 45Billy Casper, 37Jim Furyk, 33Lanny Wadkins, 34Tiger Woods, 33Arnold Palmer, 32Raymond Floyd, 31Lee Trevino, 30 Faldo's overall record is 23 wins, 19 losses, four halves, a winning percentage of 54.3. Mickelson's overall record is 18-20-7, a percentage of 47.8. Most Matches Won EuropeNick Faldo, 23Bernhard Langer, 21Seve Ballesteros, 20Colin Montgomerie, 20Lee Westwood, 20Sergio Garcia, 19Jose Maria Olazabal, 18 USAArnold Palmer, 22Billy Casper, 20Lanny Wadkins, 20Phil Mickelson, 18Jack Nicklaus, 17Lee Trevino, 17 Most Points Won EuropeNick Faldo, 25Bernhard Langer, 24Colin Montgomerie, 23.5Lee Westwood, 23Seve Ballesteros, 22.5Sergio Garcia, 22.5Jose Maria Olazabal, 20.5 USABilly Casper, 23.5Arnold Palmer, 23Phil Mickelson, 21.5Lanny Wadkins, 21.5Lee Trevino, 20Jack Nicklaus, 18.5 Most Matches Lost EuropeNeil Coles, 21Christy O'Connor Sr., 21Nick Faldo, 19Lee Westwood, 18Bernard Hunt, 16Peter Alliss, 15Mark James, 15Bernhard Langer, 15Sam Torrance, 15 USAJim Furyk, 20Phil Mickelson, 20Tiger Woods, 18Raymond Floyd, 16Davis Love III, 12Curtis Strange, 12Lanny Wadkins, 11 Most Singles Matches Won EuropeNick Faldo, 6Colin Montgomerie, 6Peter Oosterhuis, 6Peter Alliss, 5Brian Barnes, 5Neil Coles, 5Dai Rees, 5 USABilly Casper, 6Arnold Palmer, 6Sam Snead, 6Lee Trevino, 6Gene Littler, 5Phil Mickelson, 5Tom Kite, 5 Most Singles Points Won EuropeNeil Coles, 7Colin Montgomerie, 7Nick Faldo, 6.5Peter Oosterhuis, 6.5Peter Alliss, 6.5 USABilly Casper, 7Arnold Palmer, 7Lee Trevino, 7Gene Littler, 6.5Tom Kite, 6Sam Snead, 6 Most Singles Matches Lost EuropeChristy O'Connor Sr., 10Tony Jacklin, 8Lee Westwood, 7Neil Coles, 6Harry Weetman, 6Ian Woosnam, 6 USAPhil Mickelson, 5Raymond Floyd, 4Jim Furyk, 4Jack Nicklaus, 4Mark O'Meara, 4 Most Foursome Matches Won Foursomes is the format that is also called alternate shot. Two golfers partner one another to form a side. Golfers on a side alternate playing the strokes. If Golfer A tees off, Golfer B hits the second shot, Golfer A hits the third, and so on. EuropeBernhard Langer, 11Seve Ballesteros, 10Nick Faldo, 10Sergio Garcia, 9Lee Westwood, 9Tony Jacklin, 8Colin Montgomerie, 8 USAArnold Palmer, 9Lanny Wadkins, 9Billy Casper, 8Jack Nicklaus, 8Tom Kite, 7 Most Foursome Points Won EuropeBernhard Langer, 11.5Nick Faldo, 11Lee Westwood, 11Seve Ballesteros, 10.5Sergio Garcia, 10.5Tony Jacklin, 10Colin Montgomerie, 9.5 USABilly Casper, 9Arnold Palmer, 9Lanny Wadkins, 9Jack Nicklaus, 8Tom Kite, 7.5 Most Foursome Matches Lost EuropeBernard Hunt, 9Neil Coles, 8Mark James, 7Sam Torrance, 7 USARaymond Floyd, 8Jim Furyk, 8Tiger Woods, 8Phil Mickelson, 7Lanny Wadkins, 6 Most Four-Ball Matches Won Fourball is a format in which two golfers form a team and play against another team of two golfers. Each golfer plays his own golf ball throughout, meaning there are four balls in play (hence, the format name). The lower of the two partners' scores on each hole counts as the team score. EuropeIan Woosnam, 10Jose Maria Olazabal, 9Seve Ballesteros, 8Lee Westwood, 8Nick Faldo, 7 USAPhil Mickelson, 8Arnold Palmer, 7Lanny Wadkins, 7Billy Casper, 6Lee Trevino, 6Gene Littler, 5Jack Nicklaus, 5Tiger Woods, 5 Most Four-Ball Points Won EuropeJose Maria Olazabal, 10.5Ian Woosnam, 10.5Seve Ballesteros, 9Lee Westwood, 9Sergio Garcia, 8Nick Faldo, 7.5Bernhard Langer, 7Colin Montgomerie, 7 USAPhil Mickelson, 9Billy Casper, 7.5Lanny Wadkins, 7.5Gene Littler, 7Arnold Palmer, 7Lee Trevino, 7 Most Four-Ball Matches Lost EuropeNick Faldo, 9Neil Coles, 7Padraig Harrington, 6Bernhard Langer, 6Colin Montgomerie, 6 USAJim Furyk, 8Phil Mickelson, 8Tiger Woods, 8Davis Love III, 6Paul Azinger, 5Curtis Strange, 5 Best Winning Percentages Europe—Minimum 5 Matches PlayedThomas Pieters, 4-1-0, .800Ian Poulter, 12-4-2, .722Paul Way, 6-2-1, .722Luke Donald, 10-4-1, .700David Howell, 3-1-1, .700Manuel Pinero, 6-3-0, .667 USA—Minimum 5 Matches PlayedJimmy Demaret, 6-0-0, 1.000Gardner Dickinson, 9-1-0, .900Jack Burke Jr. 7-1-0, .875Walter Hagen, 7-1-1, .833Mike Souchak, 5-1-0, .833 Europe—Minimum 15 Matches PlayedIan Poulter, 12-4-2, .722Luke Donald, 10-4-1, .700Jose Maria Olazabal, 18-8-5, .661Colin Montgomerie, 20-9-7, .653Rory McIlroy, 9-6-4, .647 USA—Minimum 15 Matches PlayedArnold Palmer, 22-8-2, .719Hale Irwin, 13-5-2, .700Tom Watson, 10-4-1, .700Julius Boros, 9-3-4, .688Gene Littler, 14-5-8, .667Lee Trevino, 17-7-6, .667 Worst Winning Percentages Europe—Minimum 5 Matches Played, or 4 Matches over 2 Ryder CupsAlf Padgham, 0-6-0, .000Tom Haliburton, 0-6-0, .000John Panton, 0-5-0, .000Max Faulkner, 1-7-0, .125Charles Ward, 1-5-0, .167 USA—Minimum 5 Matches Played, or 4 Matches over 2 Ryder CupsFuzzy Zoeller, 1-8-1, .150Jerry Barber, 1-4-0, .200Olin Dutra, 1-3-0, .250Tommy Aaron, 1-4-1, .250Bubba Watson, 3-8-0, .272 Europe—Minimum 15 Matches PlayedHarry Weetman, 2-11-2, .200George Will, 2-11-2, .200Dave Thomas, 3-10-5, .306Bernard Hunt, 6-16-6, .321Mark James, 8-15-1, .354 USA—Minimum 15 Matches PlayedCurtis Strange, 6-12-2, .350Jim Furyk, 10-20-4, .353Stewart Cink, 4-8-7, .395Paul Azinger, 5-7-3, .433Raymond Floyd, 12-16-3, .435 Records of All Players With Minimum 15 Matches Played Ian Poulter, Europe, 12-4-2, .722Arnold Palmer, USA, 22-8-2, .719Luke Donald, Europe, 10-4-1, .700Hale Irwin, USA, 13-5-2, .700Tom Watson, USA, 10-4-1, .700Julius Boros, USA, 9-3-4, .688Lee Trevino, USA, 17-7-6, .667Gene Littler, USA, 14-5-8, .667Jack Nicklaus, USA, 17-8-3, .661Jose Maria Olazabal, Europe, 18-8-5, .661Colin Montgomerie, Europe, 20-9-7, .653Rory McIlroy, Europe, 9-6-4, .647Billy Casper, USA, 20-10-7, .635Lanny Wadkins, USA, 20-11-3, .632Justin Rose, Europe, 11-6-2, .632Seve Ballesteros, Europe, 20-12-5, .608Sergio Garcia, Europe, 19-11-7, .608Tom Kite, USA, 15-9-4, .607Graeme McDowell, 8-5-2, .600Darren Clarke, Europe, 10-7-3, .575Bernhard Langer, Europe 21-15-6, .571Hal Sutton, USA, 7-5-4, .563Peter Oosterhuis, Europe, 14-11-3, .554Nick Faldo, Europe, 23-19-4, .543Zach Johnson, USA, 8-7-2, .529Ian Woosnam, Europe, 14-12-5, .532Lee Westwood, Europe, 20-18-6, .523Howard Clark, Europe, 7-7-1, .500Henrik Stenson, Europe, 7-7-2, .500Bernard Gallacher, Europe, 13-13-5, .500Tony Jacklin, Europe, 13-14-8, .485Phil Mickelson, USA, 18-20-7, .478Payne Stewart, USA, 8-9-2, .474Brian Huggett, Europe, 8-10-6, .458Fred Couples, USA, 7-9-4, .450Sandy Lyle, Europe, 7-9-2, .444Davis Love III, USA, 9-12-5, .442Maurice Bembridge, Europe, 6-8-3, .441Dai Rees, Europe, 7-9-1, .441Tiger Woods, USA, 13-17-3, .439Matt Kuchar, USA, 6-8-2, .438Raymond Floyd, USA, 12-16-3, .435Paul Azinger, USA, 5-7-3, .433Brian Barnes, Europe, 10-14-1, .420Peter Alliss, Europe, 10-15-5, .417Padraig Harrington, Europe, 8-13-3, .396Stewart Cink, USA, 4-8-7, .395Neil Coles, Europe, 12-21-7, .388Miguel Angel Jimenez, Europe, 4-8-3, .367Christy O'Connor Sr., Europe, 11-21-4, .361Sam Torrance, Europe, 7-15-6, .357Mark James, Europe, 8-15-1, .354Jim Furyk, USA, 10-20-4, .353Curtis Strange, USA, 6-12-2, .350Bernard Hunt, Europe, 6-16-6, .321Dave Thomas, Europe, 3-10-5, .306Harry Weetman, Europe, 2-11-2, .200George Will, Europe, 2-11-2, .200 Golfers Who Played 5 or More Career Matches Without Losing USAJimmy Demaret, 6-0-0Bobby Nichols, 4-0-1 EuropeNone Golfers Who Played 5 or More Career Matches Without Winning EuropeAlf Padgham, 0-7-0Tom Haliburton, 0-6-0John Panton, 0-5-0 USANone Partnerships with Most Points Earned EuropeSeve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal (11-2-2), 12 pointsDarren Clarke and Lee Westwood (6-2-0), 6 pointsNick Faldo and Ian Woosnam (5-2-2), 6 pointsBernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie (5-1-1), 5.5 pointsBernard Gallacher and Brian Barnes (5-4-1), 5.5 pointsPeter Alliss and Christy O'Conner (5-6-1), 5.5 points USAArnold Palmer and Gardner Dickinson (5-0-0), 5 pointsPatrick Reed and Jordan Spieth (4-1-2), 5 pointsJack Nicklaus and Tom Watson (4-0-0), 4 pointsLarry Nelson and Lanny Wadkins (4-2-0), 4 pointsTony Lema and Julius Boros (3-1-1), 3.5 points Largest Margin of Victory—Singles 36-Hole MatchGeorge Duncan, Europe, def. Walter Hagen, USA, 10-and-8, 1929 18-Hole MatchTom Kite, USA, def. Howard Clark, Europe, 8-and-7, 1989Fred Couples, USA, def. Ian Woosnam, Europe, 8-and-7, 1997 Largest Margin of Victory—Foursomes 36-Hole MatchWalter Hagen/Denny Shute, USA, def. George Duncan/Arthur Havers, Europe, 10-and-9, 1931Lew Worsham/Ed Oliver, USA, def. Henry Cotton/Arthur Lees, 10-and-9, 1947 18-Hole MatchHale Irwin/Tom Kite, USA, def. Ken Brown/Des Smyth, Europe, 7-and-6, 1979Paul Azinger/Mark O'Meara, USA, def. Nick Faldo/David Gilford, Europe, 7-and-6, 1991Keegan Bradley/Phil Mickelson, USA, def. Lee Westwood/Luke Donald, Europe, 7 and 6, 2012 Largest Margin of Victory—Four-Balls 18-Hole MatchLee Trevino/Jerry Pate, USA, def. Nick Faldo/Sam Torrance, Europe, 7-and-5, 1981 Most Points Earned By One Player In A Single Ryder Cup EuropePeter Alliss, 1965, 5 points (out of 6 available)Tony Jacklin, 1969, 5 points (out of 6 available) USALarry Nelson, 1979, 5 points (out of 5 available)Gardner Dickinson, 1967, 5 points (out of 6 available)Arnold Palmer, 1967, 5 points (out of 6 available) Youngest Player EuropeSergio Garcia, 1999—19 years, 8 months, 15 days USAHorton Smith, 1929—21 years, 4 days Oldest Player EuropeTed Ray, 1927—50 years, 2 months, 5 days USARaymond Floyd, 1993—51 years, 20 days