| HOW THE GB & I / EUROPEAN TEAMS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN |
| 1927 | Harry Vardon, James Braid and J H Taylor formed Selection Committee. |
| 1929 | Selection committee of five. |
| 1931 | Three trial matches at Royal Lytham, Frilford Heath and Fulwell. Team chosen by PGA committee. |
| 1933 | Selection committee. |
| 1935 | Selection committee. |
| 1937 | Selection committee. |
| 1939 | Selection committee; match not played because of outbreak of World War II. |
| 1947 | Selection committee nominated short list of fourteen candidates. Match-play champion gained
place automatically. |
| 1949 | Selection committee used "List of Merit" to decide a shortlist of sixteen candidates. |
| 1951 | Selection committee picked eight players guided by newly constituted "Order of Merit".
Final two places determined after the Match-play championship. |
| 1953 | Selection committee drawn from PGA regions replaced by Tournament Committee; shortlist of
seventeen candidates played trial matches at Wentworth. |
| 1955 | Following a meeting with tournament players, it was decided that the first seven places would be
filled from the Order of Merit following the Open Golf Championship. Remaining three places to be
decided by PGA tournament sub-committee in consultation with players already qualified. |
| 1957 | For the first time team chosen from points system. Points awarded to top twenty in all stroke-play
events, including the Open Golf championship. Further points to top ten in Dunlop Matsers and
last sixteen in Match-play Championship. |
| 1959 | Leading seven players in Order of Merit qualified automatically. Remaining places filled by Match-
play champion and Dunlop Masters champion or, if already qualified, by ballot among team
members and PGA sub-committee. |
| 1961 | Open champion and Match-play champion to be added to eight selected from Order of Merit.
Eligibility based on players competing in seven of the nine British events. |
| 1963 | Points system re-introduced. Points awarded to top forty players. Open and Match-play champions
to gain automatic places. No points for limited-field events. |
| 1965 | Points system to run over two seasons, beginning with 1964 Open Golf Championship through to
Esso tournament of 1965. Open champions gained automatic places, remaining places from
points system. |
| 1967 | Same as 1965 |
| 1969 | Teams increased to twelve-a-side, but selection process remained the same as in 1965 with the
Open champions gaining automatic places and remaining places from the points system. |
| 1971 | Six players automatically qualified from points system with remaining six chosen by selection
committee. |
| 1973 | Points system ran from August 1972 to August 1973. 30 points for all winners of major PGA
events, then 24 points, 23, 22 down to one point for twenty-fifth place. Eight players gained
selection automatically, four by invitation. |
| 1975 | Order of Merit top eight chosen. Remaining four by invitation from selection committee of three chaired by team captain. |
| 1977 | Same as 1975 |
| 1979 | Leading ten players automatically qualified from Ryder Cup Points List running from 22nd October
1978 to end of August 1979. Remaining two by invitation. For the first time the team included players from the Continent of Europe. |
| 1981 | Same as 1979, with the Ryder Cup Points List running for a calendar year from 31/8/80 to end of
August 1981. |
| 1983 | Leading 12 Europeans (whole team) from the Official Money List (as @ 18/9/83, current year
only). |
| 1985 | Leading nine Europeans from the Official Money List (as @ 18/8/85, current year only); remaining
three at the sole discretion of the captain. |
| 1987 | Same as 1985, Order of Merit (official money list) as @ 31/8/87. |
| 1989 | Same, Order of Merit as @ 27/8/89. |
| 1991 | Same, Order of Merit as @ 25/8/91. |
| 1993 | Ryder Cup Points List to run for calendar year from 1/9/92 - 31/8/93, with leading nine players
gaining automatic places. Remaining three, captain's selections. |
| 1995 | Ryder Cup Points List to run for calendar year (1/9/94 - 27/8/95) but for the first time with points
being earned for monies won in the 3 US majors (Masters, US Open & US PGA). £ / $ rate
calculated on first day of event. Ten automatic qualifiers from points list, and two captains
selections. |
| 1997 | Same as 1995, with points list running from 31/8/96 - 31/8/97. If
captain holds one of the automatic places at end of qualifying period he has the option to
stand down and select one other player of his choice. |
| 1999 | Points List running from 3/9/98 - 22/8/99. Selection same as 1997,
but for the first time with points being earned for monies won in the
inaugural World Golf Championships events. |
|
| NOTE: Up to 1993 the Ryder Cup Points List was based on one point gained for
every £1 earned in official events only, including the Open Golf Championship.
In 1995 monies won from the 3 US Majors were added to the points list based on the current £/$ conversion rate.
In 1999, the European Tour adopted the Euro for prize money calculations, this was extended to
the Ryder Cup points list based on a fixed conversion rate for the qualification period. |
