1963 Ryder Cup Winner, Match Scores, Player Records
Final Score: United States 23, Great Britain 9
Dates Played: October 11-13, 1963
Golf Course: Atlanta Athletic Club in Atlanta, Georgia
Team Captains: John Fallon for Great Britain, Arnold Palmer for the United States
Team Rosters:
- Great Britain — Peter Alliss, Neil Coles, Tom Haliburton, Brian Huggett, Bernard Hunt, Geoffrey Hunt, Christy O'Connor Sr., Dave Thomas, Harry Weetman, George Will
- United States — Julius Boros, Billy Casper, Dow Finsterwald, Bob Goalby, Tony Lema, Gene Littler, Billy Maxwell, Johnny Pott, Dave Ragan, Arnold Palmer (playing captain)
But in 1963 there were two foursomes sessions played on the same day, followed by two fourball sessions on the same day, and ending with two singles sessions on Day 3. That resulted in 32 points total. And Team USA's 14-point margin of victory remains the second-largest in Cup history.
After the teams split the opening foursomes session, Team USA swept the afternoon foursomes. And the Americans won 7.5 of a possible eight points in the final singles session, the closest either side has ever come to sweeping a singles session.
Brian Huggett played for Great Britain for the first of six times, and with a 2-2-1 record was the only Team GB golfer not to have a losing mark.
Another member of Team GB was Geoffrey Hunt, joining brother Bernard Hunt. The Hunts thus became the second pair of brothers to both play in the Ryder Cup for Great Britain, and the fourth overall to do so; and the second pair overall in play in the same Ryder Cup.
Billy Casper (4-0-1) and Dow Finsterwald (4-1-1) led Team USA with 4.5 points each, and Billy Maxwell went 4-0-0.
Arnold Palmer was playing captain for Team USA, the first of two times he captained the side (Arnie captained again in 1975). And this was the last Ryder Cup in which either side had a playing captain. All captains that followed were non-playing. Another note about Captain Palmer: He was 34 years, one month and one day old, making him (then and now) the youngest-ever Ryder Cup captain.
1963 Ryder Cup Results
Day 1
Morning Foursomes- Brian Huggett/George Will, Great Britain, def. Arnold Palmer/Johnny Pott, USA, 3 and 2
- Billy Casper/Dave Ragan, USA, def. Peter Alliss/Christy O'Connor, Great Britain, 1-up
- Julius Boros/Tony Lema, USA, halved with Neil Coles/Bernard Hunt, Great Britain
- Gene Littler/Dow Finsterwald, USA, halved with Dave Thomas/Harry Weetman, Great Britain
Afternoon Foursomes
- Billy Maxwell/Bob Goalby, USA, def. Dave Thomas/Harry Weetman, Great Britain, 4 and 3
- Arnold Palmer/Billy Casper, USA, def. Brian Huggett/George Will, Great Britain, 5 and 4
- Gene Littler/Dow Finsterwald, USA, def. Neil Coles/Geoffrey Hunt, Great Britain, 2 and 1
- Julius Boros/Tony Lema, USA, def. Tom Haliburton/Bernard Hunt, Great Britain, 1-up
Cumulative score after two sessions: USA 6, Great Britain 2
Day 2
Morning Fourballs- Arnold Palmer/Dow Finsterwald, USA, def. Brian Huggett/Dave Thomas, Great Britain, 5 and 4
- Gene Littler/Julius Boros, USA, halved with Peter Alliss/Bernard Hunt, Great Britain
- Billy Casper/Billy Maxwell, USA, def. Harry Weetman/George Will, Great Britain, 3 and 2
- Neil Coles/Christy O'Connor, Great Britain, def. Bob Goalby/Dave Ragan, USA, 1-up
Cumulative score after three sessions: USA 8.5, Great Britain 3.5
Afternoon Fourballs
- Arnold Palmer/Dow Finsterwald, USA, def. Neil Coles/Christy O'Connor, Great Britain, 3 and 2
- Tony Lema/Johnny Pott, USA, def. Peter Alliss/Bernard Hunt, Great Britain, 1-up
- Billy Casper/Billy Maxwell, USA, def. Tom Haliburton/Geoffrey Hunt, Great Britain, 2 and 1
- Bob Goalby/Dave Ragan, USA, halved with Brian Huggett/Dave Thomas, Great Britain
Cumulative score after four sessions: USA 12, Great Britain 4
Day 3
Morning Singles- Tony Lema, USA, def. Geoffrey Hunt, Great Britain, 5 and 3
- Brian Huggett, Great Britain, def. Johnny Pott, USA, 3 and 1
- Peter Alliss, Great Britain, def. Arnold Palmer, USA, 1-up
- Billy Casper, USA, halved with Neil Coles, Great Britain
- Bob Goalby, USA, def. Dave Thomas, Great Britain, 3 and 2
- Gene Littler, USA, def. Christy O'Connor, Great Britain, 1-up
- Harry Weetman, Great Britain, def. Julius Boros, USA, 1-up
- Bernard Hunt, Great Britain, def. Dow Finsterwald, USA, 2-up
Cumulative score after five sessions: USA 15.5, Great Britain 8.5
Afternoon Singles
- Arnold Palmer, USA, def. George Will, Great Britain, 3 and 2
- Dave Ragan, USA, def. Neil Coles, Great Britain, 2 and 1
- Tony Lema, USA, halved with Peter Alliss, Great Britain
- Gene Littler, USA, def. Tom Haliburton, Great Britain, 6 and 5
- Julius Boros, USA, def. Harry Weetman, Great Britain, 2 and 1
- Billy Maxwell, USA, def. Christy O'Connor, Great Britain, 2 and 1
- Dow Finsterwald, USA, def. Dave Thomas, Great Britain, 4 and 3
- Bob Goalby, USA, def. Bernard Hunt, Great Britain, 2 and 1
Overall and final score: USA 23, Great Britain 9
1963 Ryder Cup Player Records
(Records are listed as wins-losses-halves.)
Great Britain
Peter Alliss, 1-2-2
Neil Coles, 1-3-2
Tom Haliburton, 0-3-0
Brian Huggett, 2-2-1
Bernard Hunt, 1-3-2
Geoffrey Hunt, 0-3-0
Christy O'Connor, 1-4-0
Dave Thomas, 0-4-2
Harry Weetman, 1-3-1
George Will, 1-3-0
United States
Julius Boros, 2-1-2
Billy Casper, 4-0-1
Dow Finsterwald, 4-1-1
Bob Goalby, 3-1-1
Tony Lema, 3-0-2
Gene Littler, 3-0-2
Billy Maxwell, 4-0-0
Arnold Palmer, 4-2-0
Johnny Pott, 1-2-0
Dave Ragan, 2-1-1
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