Ryder Cup history in Massachusetts

The first shot of the Ryder Cup was hit on June 3, 1927, at Worcester CC. It was an event years in the making.

In 1921, Golf Illustrated funded a trip for 12 Americans to go and try to win the Open Championship at St. Andrews. Just like the Walker Cup, organizers decided to make the steamship trip worth the time and organized a match between the group of Americans and the best that Great Britain had to offer. Gleneagles was the site of that initial face-off. Attendance was free… probably.

Five years later, Walter Hagen wanted to set up a match against Great Britain again in the lead-up to the Open Championship. The plan was to have a stroke-play event featuring four players on each team, however, it turned into a match-play event with ten players on each team.

The Great Britain team won 13-1 at Wentworth. The plan was for Sam Ryder to present the Ryder Cup to the winner, but that didn’t happen. That’s because those 1926 teams consisted of some players who were not American citizens, so the matches were deemed “unofficial” (I’d find a way to make them unofficial, too, if my team was drubbed like that). The rules were changed so that each team had to include players who hailed from the country they were representing.

A year later, at Worcester CC, the British team was the same as in 1926, but half the American team needed to be replaced. Tommy Armour, Jim Barnes, Joe Kirkwood, Fred McCleod, and Cyril Walker could not play due to the new rules.

1927 Ryder Cup Rosters

Team USA

• Walter Hagen (playing captain)

• Leo Diegel

• Al Espinosa

• Johnny Farrell

• Johnny Golden

• Bill Mehlhorn

• Gene Sarazen

• Joe Turnesa

• Al Watrous

Team Great Britain

• Ted Ray (playing captain)

• Aubrey Boomer

• Archie Compston

• George Duncan

• George Gadd

• Arthur Havers

• Herbert Jolly

• Fred Robson

• Charles Whitcombe

The rest of this post is for paid subscribers. Please consider upgrading to support Bay State Golf’s coverage of all things Massachusetts Golf.

You’ll get access to every word on this site, early access to course reviews, the ability to comment on posts, and other bonus materials throughout the year.

This post includes:

• Details on the first Ryder Cup and the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club

• News clippings

• Players with Massachusetts connections who have played in the Ryder Cup

Subscribe to Supporter to read the rest.