6 Money has always been plentiful
The first British team almost never made it to America in 1927 because of
a lack of financial support. The PGA needed £3,000 to send its team to
Massachusetts and had to ask the 1,750 golf clubs throughout Britain to send
in donations. Around a quarter of clubs sent money and Samuel Ryder had to
donate an extra few hundred pounds to meet the target. Small donations were
all welcomed and even ex-pat communities helped out.

7 Players are not paid to play
There was a time when golfers in the Ryder Cup were paid. An away match
would take many away from their normal pro shop jobs for six weeks or more.
The long journey and the match too their toll in time and effort, so the
budgets in the 1920s and 1930s especially, included a salary because home
clubs did not pay for leave. Nowadays, the US players each receive a small
per diem payment and $200,000 to give to charities or scholarships of their
choice, while the Europeans are paid only daily expenses. Prize money has
never been on offer.

8 The Ryder Cup as a trans-Atlantic contest
Samuel Ryder’s gift of the cup was on the basis that it would be contested
by the two greatest nations in the sport and, in 1927, that was Britain and
America. When the Europeans were introduced in 1979, there was opposition
from some members of Ryder’s family. That concern was overcome because the
future of the event was at stake, but the question of changing the teams
might arise in future. What if Asian golfers (particularly from South Korea,
Japan or China) come to dominate the sport? Will that mean the Ryder Cup is
not played for by the best golfers in the world? Could that mean another
possible change in the make-up of the Ryder Cup teams? Only time will tell.

9 The Battle of Brookline was the worst example of rival teams falling out
In 1999, angry words were exchanged at Brookline when an overly animated
American team and crowd took the atmosphere to an unwelcome level. However,
in 1969 fisticuffs almost broke out on the course and the main reason was
the confrontational tone set by GBI skipper Eric Brown. The Scot
admitted hating the Americans. Some younger players (including Bernard
Gallacher) were caught up in the hostility and snapped angrily at each other
to such an extent that policemen were called to walk with one particular
fourball as crowds at Royal Birkdale began to jeer the visitors. Luckily,
this match is better known for ‘The Concession’ when Jack Nicklaus conceded
the final putt of the match to Tony Jacklin so that the contest ended in a
tie.

^{Brookline in 1999 was not the first time things got out of hand on that
course (AllSport)}

Ryder Cup Revealed: Tales of the Unexpected by Ross Biddiscombe is
available in hardback from all good book shops, via online stores and as an
e-book. www.rydercuprevealed.com