Golfers With Most Losses in Ryder Cup Matches
Keep in mind as you are reading and looking at these lists that context is very important for a record such as this. Some of the golfers who have a lot of Ryder Cup losses only appear here because they played so many matches overall. Some of them having winning records overall.
Others? Not so much.
See also: Golfers with the most wins in the Ryder Cup
Most Career Losses in the Ryder Cup: Phil Mickelson, 22
The golfer who holds the all-time Ryder Cup record for losing the most matches is Phil Mickelson, who has suffered 22 defeats over the course of his long career. Through the 2018 Ryder Cup (which was likely his final appearance as a player), Mickelson's overall record was 18 match wins, 22 losses and seven halves. That's 47 matches played, and a winning percentage of .457.Mickelson took over the top spot on the list below when he lost twice in 2018, going 0-2-0. Mickelson played for Team USA in the Ryder Cups of 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. That's 12 Ryder Cups played, and a lot of opportunities to drop matches.
Six of Mickelson's 22 losses were in singles (5-6-1 overall record), eight in foursomes (5-8-4 overall record) and eight in fourballs (8-8-2 overall record).
The List: Most Ryder Cup Match Defeats
The overall leaders in match losses in Ryder Cup play (and all golfers with 15 or more losses) are:- 22 losses — Phil Mickelson, Team USA. Mickelson played 47 matches with an overall record of 18-22-7 (18 wins, 22 losses, 7 halves).
- 21 losses — Tiger Woods, Team USA. Woods played 37 matches with an overall record of 13-21-3.
- 21 losses — Christy O'Connor Sr., Team Great Britain & Ireland. O'Connor played 36 matches with an overall record of 11-21-4.
- 21 losses — Neil Coles, Team Great Britain & Ireland. Coles played 40 matches with an overall record of 12-21-7.
- 20 losses — Jim Furyk, Team USA. Furyk played 34 matches with an overall record of 10-20-4.
- 20 losses — Lee Westwood, Team Europe. Westwood has played 47 matches with an overall record of 21-20-6.
- 19 losses — Nick Faldo, Team Europe. Faldo played 46 matches with an overall record of 23-19-4.
- 16 losses — Bernard Hunt, Team Great Britain & Ireland. Hunt played 28 matches with an overall record of 6-16-6.
- 16 losses — Raymond Floyd, Team USA. Floyd played 31 matches with an overall record of 12-16-3.
- 15 losses — Sam Torrance, Team Europe. Torrance played 28 matches with an overall record of 7-15-6.
- 15 losses — Mark James, Team Europe. James played 24 matches with an overall record of 8-15-1.
- 15 losses — Peter Alliss, Team Great Britain & Ireland. Alliss played 30 matches with an overall record of 10-15-5.
- 15 losses — Bernhard Langer, Team Europe. Langer played 42 matches with an overall record of 21-15-6.
