1985 Ryder Cup Winner, Match Scores, Player Records
The 1985 Ryder Cup was the 26th time this tournament was played, but it marked a turning point in the tournament's history: Europe was ascendant. And following the Team Europe victory here, the all-time standings were 21 wins for the United States, four wins for Europe, and one draw.
Final Score: Europe 16.5, United States 11.5
Dates Played: September 13-15, 1985
Golf Course: The Belfry (Brabazon Course) in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England
Team Captains: Lee Trevino for the United States, Tony Jacklin for Europe
Team Rosters:
- USA — Andy North, Hubert Green, Curtis Strange, Lanny Wadkins, Raymond Floyd, Calvin Peete, Mark O'Meara, Craig Stadler, Hal Sutton, Peter Jacobsen, Tom Kite, Fuzzy Zoeller
- Europe — Sandy Lyle, Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Paul Way, Howard Clark, Seve Ballesteros, Manuel Pinero, Jose Maria Canizares, Jose Rivero, Ken Brown, Nick Faldo
But over the coming few decades, Team Europe was frequently the favored team, and the Ryder Cup took on a whole new, hypercompetitive tenor.
The win here was the first in 28 years for Team GB/GB&I/Europe, since the 1957 Ryder Cup. The winning point was secured by Sam Torrance, who sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to beat Andy North (who hooked his drive into a lake on the hole), 1-up, in Day 3 singles.
Team USA won the first session on Day 1, 3-1, and led by one point at the end of Day 1. But the competition might have changed in the last of four morning fourballs on Day 2. In that match, Craig Stadler and Curtis Strange were 1-up on the 18th green against Bernhard Langer and Sandy Lyle. Stadler had a 3-foot putt to halve the hole and win the match, but missed. Instead of getting the full point for a victory, the teams each got a half-point, and the momentum shifted. Europe won the afternoon session 3-1 and took and 2-point lead into the Day 2 singles.
Manuel Pinero, who went 4-1 for Europe, led off the singles with a win over Lanny Wadkins. And Europe won it during the middle part of the session, winning five of six matches, halving the other, and culminating in Torrance's victory.
This was the second of four consecutive times Tony Jacklin was European captain. His side lost the first one, won the next two, and drew the fourth.
1985 Ryder Cup Results
Day 1
Foursomes- Seve Ballesteros/Miguel Pinero, Europe, def. Curtis Strange/Mark O'Meara, USA, 2 and 1
- Calvin Peete/Tom Kite, USA, def. Bernhard Langer/Nick Faldo, Europe, 3 and 2
- Lanny Wadkins/Raymond Floyd, USA, def. Sandy Lyle/Ken Brown, Europe, 4 and 3
- Craig Stadler/Hal Sutton, USA, def. Howard Clark/Sam Torrance, Europe, 3 and 2
Fourballs
- Paul Way/Ian Woosnam, Europe, def. Fuzzy Zoeller/Hubert Green, USA, 1-up
- Seve Ballestero/Miguel Pinero, Europe, def. Andy North/Peter Jacobsen, USA, 2 and 1
- Bernhard Langer/Jose Maria Canizares, Europe, halved with Craig Stadler/Hal Sutton, USA
- Raymond Floyd/Lanny Wadkins, USA, def. Sam Torrance/Howard Clark, Europe, 1-up
Cumulative score after two sessions: USA 4.5, Europe 3.5
Day 2
Fourballs- Sam Torrance/Howard Clark, Europe, def. Tom Kite/Andy North, USA, 2 and 1
- Paul Way/Ian Woosnam, Europe, def. Hubert Green/Fuzzy Zoeller, USA, 4 and 3
- Mark O'Meara/Lanny Wadkins, USA, def. Seve Ballesteros/Miguel Pinero, Europe, 3 and 2
- Bernhard Langer/Sandy Lyle, Europe, halved with Craig Stadler/Curtis Strange, USA
Cumulative score after three sessions: USA 6, Europe 6
Foursomes
- Jose Maria Canizares/Jose Rivero, Europe, def. Tom Kite/Calvin Peete, USA, 4 and 3
- Seve Ballesteros/Miguel Pinero, Europe, def. Craig Stadler/Hal Sutton, USA, 5 and 4
- Curtis Strange/Peter Jacobsen, USA, def. Paul Way/Ian Woosnam, Europe, 4 and 2
- Bernhard Langer/Ken Brown, Europe, def. Raymond Floyd/Lanny Wadkins, USA, 3 and 2
Cumulative score after four sessions: Europe 9, USA 7
Day 3
Singles- Miguel Pinero, Europe, def. Lanny Wadkins, USA, 3 and 1
- Craig Stadler, USA, def. Ian Woosnam, Europe, 2 and 1
- Paul Way, Europe, def. Raymond Floyd, USA, 2-up
- Seve Ballesteros, Europe, halved with Tom Kite, USA
- Sandy Lyle, Europe, def. Peter Jacobsen, USA, 3 and 2
- Bernhard Langer, Europe, def. Hal Sutton, USA, 5 and 4
- Sam Torrance, Europe, def. Andy North, USA, 1-up
- Howard Clark, Europe, def. Mark O'Meara, USA, 1-up
- Calvin Peete, USA, def. Jose Rivero, Europe, 1-up
- Hubert Green, USA, def. Nick Faldo, Europe, 3 and 1
- Jose Maria Canizares, Europe, def. Fuzzy Zoeller, USA, 2-up
- Curtis Strange, USA, def. Ken Brown, Europe, 4 and 2
Overall and final score: Europe 16.5, USA 11.5
1985 Ryder Cup Player Records
(Records are listed as wins-losses-halves.)
USA
Raymond Floyd, 2-2-0
Hubert Green, 1-2-0
Peter Jacobsen, 1-2-0
Tom Kite, 1-2-1
Andy North, 0-3-0
Mark O'Meara, 1-2-0
Calvin Peete, 2-1-0
Craig Stadler, 2-1-2
Curtis Strange, 2-1-1
Hal Sutton, 1-2-1
Lanny Wadkins, 3-2-0
Fuzzy Zoeller, 0-3-0
Europe
Seve Ballesteros, 3-1-1
Ken Brown, 1-2-0
Jose Maria Canizares, 2-0-1
Howard Clark, 2-2-0
Nick Faldo, 0-2-0
Bernhard Langer, 2-1-2
Sandy Lyle, 1-1-1
Manuel Pinero, 4-1-0
Jose Rivero, 1-1-0
Sam Torrance, 2-2-0
Paul Way, 3-1-0
Ian Woosnam, 2-2-0
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