2002 Ryder Cup Winner, Match Scores, Player Records

The 2002 Ryder Cup was the 34th time this tournament was played. Following the Team Europe victory, the all-time standings were 24 wins for the United States, eight wins for Europe, and two draws.

Final Score: Europe 15.5, United States 12.5

Dates Played: September 27-29, 2002

Golf Course: The Belfry (Brabazon Course) in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England

Team Captains: Curtis Strange for the United States (vice captain Mike Hulbert), Sam Torrance for Europe (vice captains Joakim Haeggman, Mark James, Ian Woosnam)

Team Rosters:

  • USA — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Mark Calcavecchia, David Toms, Davis Love III, Scott Hoch, Jim Furyk, Hal Sutton, Stewart Cink, Scott Verplank, Paul Azinger
  • Europe — Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Thomas Bjorn, Colin Montgomerie, Pierre Fulke, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley, Niclas Fasth, Bernhard Langer, Phillip Price, Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik
Match Notes: The 2002 Ryder Cup was originally scheduled to be played in 2001, but the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States delayed it. The Ryder Cup had always been played in odd-numbered years before; beginning here, the Ryder Cup started taking place in even-numbered years.

Europe's margin-of-victory here was three points, which seems small, but in fact was the largest margin of victory since the 1985 Ryder Cup.

This is the Ryder Cup that popularized the term (and tactic) of "front loading" in singles play. That means the team captain chooses an order of play for singles in which his strongest players play the earliest matches.

With the teams tied at 8-8 going into singles, European captain Sam Torrance "front loaded," choosing his seven strongest players and sending them out in the first seven singles matches. American captain Curtis Strange sent world No. 2 Phil Mickelson out eighth, and world No. 1 Tiger Woods out last.

Colin Montgomerie set the tone for Team Europe in singles with a 5-and-4 win over Scott Hoch (Montgomerie led both sides with a 4-0-1 record) in the first match of Day 3. Team USA managed only two singles victories, and the overall outcome was assured early enough that Woods' match against Jesper Parnevik didn't even matter.

Bernhard Langer, playing in his 10th and final Ryder Cup (he later captained), went out a winner: He beat Hal Sutton in singles and had a 3-0-1 record.

2002 Ryder Cup Results

Day 1

Foursomes
  • Darren Clarke/Thomas Bjorn, Europe, def. Tiger Woods/Paul Azinger, USA, 1-up
  • Lee Westwood/Sergio Garcia, Europe, def. David Duval/Davis Love III, USA, 4 and 3
  • Colin Montgomerie/Bernhard Langer, Europe, def. Scott Hoch/Jim Furyk, USA, 4 and 3
  • Phil Mickelson/David Toms, USA, def. Padraig Harrington/Niclas Fasth, Europe, 1-up
Score after first session: Europe 3, USA 1

Fourballs

  • Hal Sutton/Scott Verplank, USA, def. Darren Clarke/Thomas Bjorn, Europe, 2 and 1
  • Lee Westwood/Sergio Garcia, Europe, def. Tiger Woods/Mark Calcavecchia, USA, 2 and 1
  • Colin Montgomerie/Bernhard Langer, Europe, halved with Phil Mickelson/David Toms, USA
  • Stewart Cink/Jim Furyk, USA, def. Padraig Harrington/Paul McGinley, Europe, 2 and 1
Score of second session: USA 2.5, Europe 1.5
Cumulative score after two sessions: Europe 4.5, USA 3.5

Day 2

Foursomes
  • Phil Mickelson/David Toms, USA, def. Pierre Fulke/Phillip Price, Europe, 2 and 1
  • Colin Montgomerie/Bernhard Langer, Europe, def. Scott Verplank/Scott Hoch, USA, 1-up
  • Lee Westwood/Sergio Garcia, Europe, def. Stewart Cink/Jim Furyk, USA, 2 and 1
  • Tiger Woods/Davis Love III, USA, def. Darren Clarke/Thomas Bjorn, Europe, 2 and 1
Score of third session: USA 2, Europe 2
Cumulative score after three sessions: Europe 6.5, Europe 5.5

Fourballs

  • Mark Calcavecchia/David Duval, USA, def. Niclas Fasth/Jesper Parnevik, Europe, 1-up
  • Colin Montgomerie/Bernhard Langer, Europe, def. Phil Mickelson/David Toms, USA, 2 and 1
  • Tiger Woods/Davis Love III, USA, def. Sergio Garcia/Lee Westwood, Europe, 1-up
  • Darren Clarke/Paul McGinley, Europe, halved with Scott Hoch/Jim Furyk, USA
Score of fourth session: USA 2.5, Europe 1.5
Cumulative score after four sessions: USA 8, Europe 8

Day 3

Singles
  • Colin Montgomerie, Europe, def. Scott Hoch, USA, 5 and 4
  • Padraig Harrington, Europe, def. Mark Calcavecchia, USA, 5 and 4
  • Bernhard Langer, Europe, def. Hal Sutton, USA, 4 and 3
  • David Toms, USA, def. Sergio Garcia, Europe, 1-up
  • Darren Clarke, Europe, halved with David Duval, USA
  • Thomas Bjorn, Europe, def. Stewart Cink, USA, 2 and 1
  • Scott Verplank, USA, def. Lee Westwood, Europe, 2 and 1
  • Phillip Price, Europe, def. Phil Mickelson, USA, 3 and 2
  • Paul Azinger, USA, halved with Niclas Fasth, Europe
  • Paul McGinley, Europe, halved with Jim Furyk, USA
  • Davis Love III, USA, halved with Pierre Fulke, Europe
  • Tiger Woods, USA, halved with Jesper Parnevik, Europe
Score of fifth session: Europe 7.5, USA 4.5
Overall and final score: Europe 15.5, USA 12.5

2002 Ryder Cup Player Records

(Records are listed as wins-losses-halves.)

United States
Paul Azinger, 0-1-1
Mark Calcavecchia, 1-2-0
Stewart Cink, 1-2-0
David Duval, 1-1-1
Jim Furyk, 1-2-2
Scott Hoch, 0-3-1
Davis Love III, 2-1-1
Phil Mickelson, 2-2-1
Hal Sutton, 1-1-0
David Toms, 3-1-1
Scott Verplank, 2-1-0
Tiger Woods, 2-2-1

Europe
Thomas Bjorn, 2-2-0
Darren Clarke, 1-2-2
Niclas Fasth, 0-2-1
Pierre Fulke, 0-1-1
Sergio Garcia, 3-2-0
Padraig Harrington, 2-2-0
Bernhard Langer, 3-0-1
Paul McGinley, 0-1-2
Colin Montgomerie, 4-0-1
Jesper Parnevik, 0-1-1
Phillip Price, 1-1-0
Lee Westood, 3-2-0

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1999 Ryder Cup | 2004 Ryder Cup

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