1929 Ryder Cup Winner, Match Scores, Player Records
The squads played four foursomes matches on Day 1 and eight singles matches on Day 2. All matches were scheduled for 36 holes.
Final Score: Great Britain 7, United States 5
Dates Played: April 26-27, 1929
Golf Course: Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, England
Team Captains: Walter Hagen for the United States, George Duncan for Great Britain
Team Rosters:
- USA — Leo Diegel, Ed Dudley, Al Espinosa, Johnny Farrell, Johnny Golden, Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith, Joe Turnesa, Al Watrous, Walter Hagen (playing captain)
- Great Britain — Percy Alliss, Aubrey Boomer, Stewart Burns, Archie Compston, Henry Cotton, Abe Mitchell, Fred Robson, Charles Whitcombe, Ernest Whitcombe, George Duncan (playing captain)
Team GB went on to win five of the eight singles matches, halving another, earning 5.5 of the available eight Day 2 points.
Duncan's margin of victory over Hagen remains the largest in Ryder Cup history, and it is a record that literally can't be broken — Ryder Cup matches are only 18 holes in the present day, rather than 36 as they were here. (Leo Diegel's 9-and-8 win over Abe Mitchell remains the second-largest margin of victory in Cup history.)
Horton Smith was was only 20 years old and had never played with hickory shafts. But because the R&A didn't approve steel shafts until the following year, Smith had to play with hickory-shafted clubs for the first time here. It didn't bother him: He was one of only two Americans (along with Diegel) to win his singles match.
The first time brothers played on a Ryder Cup team together happened here, with Charles Whitcombe joined by brother Ernest.
Although Team USA lost the Ryder Cup, its members scored a couple big wins in the weeks following. Two weeks later Hagen won the 1929 British Open, with his Ryder Cup teammates Farrell and Diegel second and third, respectively. The following week the entire American team played in the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament and Joe Turnesa was the winner. Duncan beat Hagen again in a 36-hole match in that tournament, 1-up.
1929 Ryder Cup Results
Day 1
Foursomes- Charles Whitcombe/Archie Compston, Great Britain, halved with Johnny Farrell/Jim Turnesa, USA
- Leo Diegel/Al Espinosa, USA, def. Aubrey Boomer/George Duncan, Great Britain, 7 and 5
- Abe Mitchell/Fred Robson, Great Britain, def. Gene Sarazen/Ed Dudley, USA, 2 and 1
- Walter Hagen/Johnny Golden, USA, def. Ernest Whitcombe/Henry Cotton, Great Britain, 2-up
Day 2
Singles- Charles Whitcombe, Great Britain, def. Johnny Farrell, USA, 8 and 6
- George Duncan, Great Britain, def. Walter Hagen, 10 and 8
- Leo Diegel, USA, def. Abe Mitchell, Great Britain, 9 and 8
- Archie Compston, Great Britain, def. Gene Sarazen, USA, 6 and 4
- Aubrey Boomer, Great Britain, def. Jim Turnesa, USA, 4 and 3
- Horton Smith, USA, def. Fred Robson, Great Britain, 4 and 2
- Henry Cotton, Great Britain, def. Al Watrous, USA, 4 and 3
- Al Espinosa, USA, halved with Ernest Whitcombe, Great Britain
Overall and final score: Great Britain 7, USA 5
1929 Ryder Cup Player Records
(Records are listed as wins-losses-halves.)
United States
Leo Diegel, 2-0-0
Ed Dudley, 0-1-0
Al Espinosa, 1-0-1
Johnny Farrell, 0-1-1
Johnny Golden, 1-0-0
Walter Hagen, 1-1-0
Gene Sarazen, 0-2-0
Horton Smith, 1-0-0
Joe Turnesa, 0-1-1
Al Watrous, 0-1-0
Great Britain
Percy Alliss, did not play
Aubrey Boomer, 1-1-0
Stewart Burns, did not play
Archie Compston, 1-0-1
Henry Cotton, 1-1-0
George Duncan, 1-1-0
Abe Mitchell, 1-1-0
Fred Robson, 1-1-0
Charles Whitcombe, 1-0-1
Ernest Whitcombe, 0-1-1
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