These 6 Golfers Have Made the Most Ryder Cup Appearances
First played between the United States and Great Britain at the Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts in 1927, the Ryder Cup is the premier international golf competition. Held every two years, the three-day event now involves the top players from the US versus the best golfers in continental Europe and features different match formats, including fourballs, foursomes, and singles. Each match is worth 1 point and the team with the most points at the end of the event wins the Cup. The US has won 27 of the 44 Ryder Cups, while Europe has won eight of the last 11.
There are 12 golfers per team, each of which is selected by a captain, usually a professional golfer with prior Ryder Cup experience. Below are the six golfers with the most appearances in the Ryder Cup.
Phil Mickelson
A six-time major champion, Phil Mickelson is the all-time leader with 12 Ryder Cup appearances for the US. Mickelson was selected to the American team in every Ryder Cup from 1995 to 2018, a period in which the US only won three times (1999, 2008, and 2016). He has a career record of 18-22-7 in 47 total matches at the Ryder Cup and has earned 21.5 points. Billy Casper, who played in eight Ryder Cups, holds the record for most points for the US with 23.5.
Mickelson was 2-1-1 in four matches, earning 2.5 points, in 2016, the last time he was part of the winning side. He served as a vice captain in 2021, when the US beat Europe 19-9 and, despite being one of the most decorated Americans in Ryder Cup history, likely won't serve as captain anytime in the near future. Mickelson left the PGA Tour, which organizes the Ryder Cup, for LIV Golf in 2022.
"I think that as a Ryder Cup captain, you have to be kind of a unifier and have these relationships solidified and somebody that you want to follow," Mickelson said during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. "And right now, I've been very divisive, and I'm OK with that. I knew that was going to be the case. I knew that it was going to take a couple of years and that I was going to take a lot of hits and a lot of divisiveness."
Lee Westwood
Lee Westwood, an English golfer who also left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, played in his European record-tying 11th Ryder Cup in 2021 and also set the record for the most Ryder Cup matches with 47. He played in 10 consecutive Ryder Cups and has been part of seven championship teams. He wasn't selected for the European team in 2023 due to his decision to join LIV Golf and, like Mickelson, also isn't likely to be a captain one day, despite his impressive resume.
While Westwood has never won a major championship, he was a runner-up at the 2010 and 2016 Masters Tournament and the 2010 Open Championship. He has won more than 40 tournaments in 20 different countries. Through 11 Ryder Cups, he has an overall match record of 21-20-6. He had a perfect record in 2004 and 2006.
Nick Faldo
English golfer Nick Faldo has also appeared in 11 Ryder Cups and served as captain of the European team in 2008. He first represented Europe in the 1977 Ryder Cup at just 20 years old, becoming the youngest player at the time to participate in the biennial competition. Faldo won each of his three matches that year and earned a career-best four points in the 1983 Ryder Cup. He has an all-time Ryder Cup record of 23-19-4.
On the PGA Tour, Faldo was a six-time major championship winner, winning both the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship three times each.
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia, a decorated Spanish golfer who also recently joined LIV Golf, is one of three players to play in 10 Ryder Cups. He is Europe's all-time leader in points with 28.5 and has been part of six championship teams. He won three of his four matches in his most recent appearance in 2021. Prior to joining LIV Golf, Garcia won 11 PGA Tour events, including the 2017 Masters Tournament.
Bernhard Langer
German Bernhard Langer also participated in 10 Ryder Cups for Europe and was captain of the team in 2004, when Europe won its second of three consecutive events. The two-time Masters champion was part of five Ryder Cup winning teams, but is perhaps best remembered for missing a 6-foot putt for par on the 18th hole in the final match of the 1991 Ryder Cup. If he had made the putt, Europe would have tied the US 14-14 and retained the Cup due to winning it outright in 1989.
Christy O'Connor
Irish golfer Christy O'Connor, who won more than 20 times on the British PGA, represented the Great Britain and Ireland team in 10 consecutive Ryder Cups from 1955 to 1973. His son, Christy O'Connor Jr., played in just two Ryder Cups, but had arguably one of the greatest shots in the history of the event, hitting a 2-iron to within 4 feet of the cup on the 18th hole at The Belfry in Warwickshire, England in the 1989 Ryder Cup. He made the putt to secure a 14-14 tie, allowing Europe to retain the Cup after winning it outright two years prior.