1931 Ryder Cup Winner and Match Scores

The 1931 Ryder Cup was the third time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following Team USA's victory, the American side held a 2-1 lead in the biennial series.

Final Score: United States 9, Great Britain 3

Dates Played: June 26-27, 1931

Golf Course: Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio

Team Captains: Charles Whitcombe for Great Britain, Walter Hagen for the United States

Team Rosters:

• Great Britain — Archie Compston, Bill Davies, George Duncan, Syd Easterbrook, Arthur Havers, Bert Hodson, Abe Mitchell, Fred Robson, Ernest Whitcombe, Charles Whitcombe (playing captain)
• USA — Billy Burke, Wiffy Cox, Leo Diegel, Al Espinosa, Johnny Farrell, Gene Sarazen, Denny Shute, Horton Smith, Craig Wood, Walter Hagen (playing captain)

Match Notes: The 1931 Ryder Cup was played over two days, with four foursomes matches on Day 1 and eight singles matches on Day 2. All matches were scheduled for 36 holes.

Five of the players on Team USA were chosen during the PGA Annual Meeting. Another 14 golfers traveled to Scioto Country Club the week before the Ryder Cup and played a 72-hole event, with the Top 3 making the team. For Great Britain, a committee of British PGA representatives made the team selections after a series of trial matches were played.

This was the first of four times as Great Britain captain for Charles Whitcombe (his teams went 0-4), and one of six times as Team USA captain for Walter Hagen.

The match wasn't particularly close: Team USA won three of the four Day 1 games, and six of the eight on Day 2, several by large scores. One of those was a 10-and-9 victory by Walter Hagen and Denny Shute in foursomes over George Duncan and Arthur Havers. That foursomes margin of victory was later tied, but it's a record that can never be beaten since Ryder Cup matches today are only 18 holes.

1931 Ryder Cup Results

Day 1

Foursomes

• Gene Sarazen/Johnny Farrell, USA, def. Archie Compston/William Davies, Great Britain, 8 and 7
• Walter Hagen/Denny Shute, USA, def. George Duncan/Arthur Havers, Great Britain, 10 and 9
• Abe Mitchell/Fred Robson, Great Britain, def. Leo Diegel/Al Espinosa, USA, 3 and 1
• Billy Burke/Wilfred Cox, USA, def. Syd Easterbrook/Ernest Whitcombe, Great Britain, 3 and 2

Score after Day 1: USA 3, Great Britain 1

Day 2

Singles

• Billy Burke, USA, def. Archie Compston, Great Britain, 7 and 6
• Gene Sarazen, USA, def. Fred Robson, Great Britain, 7 and 6
• William Davies, Great Britain, def. Johnny Farrell, USA, 4 and 3
• Wilfred Cox, USA, def. Abe Mitchell, Great Britain, 3 and 1
• Walter Hagen, USA, def. Charles Whitcombe, Great Britain, 4 and 3
• Denny Shute, USA, def. Bert Hodson, Great Britain, 8 and 6
• Al Espinosa, USA, def. Ernest Whitcombe, Great Britain, 2 and 1
• Arthur Havers, Great Britain, def. Craig Wood, USA, 4 and 3

Score of Day 2 session: USA 6, Great Britain 2
Overall and final score: USA 9, Great Britain 3

1931 Ryder Cup Player Records

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

Great Britain
Archie Compston, 0-2-0
Bill Davies, 1-1-0
George Duncan, 0-1-0
Syd Easterbrook, 0-1-0
Arthur Havers, 1-1-0
Bert Hodson, 0-1-0
Abe Mitchell, 1-1-0
Fred Robson, 1-1-0
Charles 0-1-0
Ernest Whitcombe, 0-2-0

United States
Billy Burke, 2-0-0
Wiffy Cox, 2-0-0
Leo Diegel, 0-1-0
Al Espinosa, 1-1-0
Johnny Farrell, 1-1-0
Walter Hagen, 2-0-0
Gene Sarazen, 2-0-0
Denny Shute, 2-0-0
Horton Smith, did not play
Craig Wood, 0-1-0

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