European TourPGA of UKUSA Team SiteTime and WeatherHomeScoresSchedulesNews and ViewsThe TeamsThe BelfryThe MatchesHistoryMerchandise
USA Team SiteTime and Weather
Ryder CupThe Official Site of the 34th Ryder Cup Matches
The Official Site of the 34th Ryder Cup MatchesLaunch the... IBM Real-Time ScoreboardIBM an e-business solution
History
Keyword Search
Past Winners
Ryder Cup Moments
Records
Captain's Records
Past Winners
 1981 Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England
Captains: Dave Marr (US), John Jacobs (Europe)
USA 18 1/2EUROPE 9 1/2

1981 European Team
Larry Nelson continued his remarkable run with four more victories to boost the American team, the last time a U.S. Team would enjoy a dominating performance in the Ryder Cup Matches. The U.S. was composed of players who had combined for 36 major championships. The U.S. gained the momentum it needed the second day to win its 22nd consecutive Matches. The Americans piled up a 7-1 record, ranked just behind the U.S. all-time record set in 1967 of a 7 1/2 to 1/2 margin in fourballs or foursomes for one day. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson teamed for three victories and Nicklaus finished 4-0 overall. Germany's Bernhard Langer made his Ryder Cup debut as did Spain's José Maria Caņizares and Manuel Pinero. Spain's Seve Ballesteros, who had won the 1980 Masters and had spent much of his competitive season away from the PGA European Tour, was voted out of the competition by the European Team.


EuropeUnited States
 Foursomes: Morning
 B Langer & M Piñero0 L Trevino & L Nelson (1 hole)1
 A Lyle & M James (2 & 1)1 B Rogers & B Lietzke0
 B Gallacher & D Smyth (3 and 2)1 H Irwin & R Floyd0
 P Oosterhuis & N Faldo0 T Watson & J Nicklaus (4 & 3)1
 Fourballs: Afternoon
 S Torrance & H Clark (halved)½ T Kite & J Miller (halved)½
 A Lyle & M James (3 & 2)1 B Crenshaw & J Pate0
 D Smyth & J M Caņizares (6 & 5)1 B Rogers & B Lietzke0
 B Gallacher & E Darcy0 H Irwin & R Floyd (2 & 1)1
 Fourballs: Morning
 N Faldo & S Torrance0 L Trevino & J Pate (7 & 5)1
 A Lyle & M James0 L Nelson & T Kite (1 hole)1
 B Langer & M Piñero (2 & 1)1 R Floyd & H Irwin0
 J M Caņizares & D Smyth0 J Nicklaus & T Watson (3 & 2)1
 Foursomes: Afternoon
 P Oosterhuis & S Torrance0 L Trevino & J Pate (2 & 1)1
 B Langer & M Piñero0 J Nicklaus & T Watson (3 & 2)1
 A Lyle & M James0 B Rogers & R Floyd (3 & 2)1
 D Smyth & B Gallacher0 T Kite & L Nelson (3 & 2)1
 Singles
 S Torrance0 L Trevino (5 & 3)1
 A Lyle0 T Kite (3 & 2)1
 B Gallacher (halved)½ B Rogers (halved)½
 M James0 L Nelson (2 holes)1
 D Smyth0 B Crenshaw (6 & 4)1
 B Langer (halved)½ B Lietzke (halved)½
 M Piñero (4 & 2)1 J Pate0
 J M Caņizares0 H Irwin (1 hole)1
 N Faldo (2 & 1)1 J Miller0
 H Clark (4 & 3)1 T Watson0
 P Oosterhuis0 R Floyd (1 hole)1
 E Darcy0 J Nicklaus (5 & 3)1
USA 18 1/2EUROPE 9 1/2


did you know?
1961 saw all matches reduced from 36 holes to 18 which has remained the position since. In 1963 fourball matches were introduced and the overall match extended to three days from the previous two.
Home | Scoreboard | Schedule | News & Photos | The Teams | The Belfry | The Matches | History | Merchandise
Feedback | About this Site | Privacy | Site Map
Copyright 2002, Ryder Cup Limited, PGA of America and IBM Corporation, All rights reserved.

This website is Š The 34th Ryder Cup Matches. All rights reserved. No reproduction, distribution or transmission of any information, part or parts of this website by any means whatsoever is permitted without the prior written permission of the PGA of America and/or Ryder Cup Limited. Framing of this website or any part of it on another site, or mirroring this website on another server, is expressly prohibited. The Ryder Cup Matches logo and all of its derivative formats are trademarks of the Ryder Cup. For the full terms of use of this website, click here.