Rules

Ryder Cup Foursomes Explained

Two players, one ball, alternate shots. Foursomes is the most exposing format in golf — and the truest test of a Ryder Cup pairing.

Of the three Ryder Cup formats, foursomes is the one that makes even the world's best players nervous. The concept is simple and brutal: two team-mates share a single golf ball and alternate every shot. If your partner drives into the trees, you're the one playing the recovery. If you leave an approach short, they face the tricky chip. There is nowhere to hide, and no way to carry a struggling partner — which is exactly why it reveals so much about a pairing.

How alternate shot works

Before the round, the pair decides who will tee off on the odd-numbered holes and who takes the evens. From there they alternate on every single stroke until the ball is holed — tee shots, approaches, chips and putts included. So one player might hit the drive, the partner the approach, the first back to the green for the chip, and so on. That alternation runs the whole way through, and it means the pair are effectively playing one continuous round together.

Why captains obsess over foursomes pairings

Foursomes rewards two things above all: complementary games and trust. A big hitter who sprays it can be a liability if their partner is then always scrambling; two steady, accurate players who keep the ball in play often grind out results against flashier pairs. Deciding who takes the odd and even tees is a real tactical lever — it determines who hits the drive on the hardest holes and who has the putts to win holes coming in. Getting this right is a core part of the captain's craft, and it's modelled directly in Drive for Five and explained further in our pairing strategy guide.

Foursomes versus fourballs

If foursomes is about shared responsibility and control, fourballs is its opposite — each player plays their own ball, freeing them to attack. Most Ryder Cup sessions feature one of each on the first two days, and a smart captain picks different pairings for the two formats, because the qualities that win at alternate shot are not always the ones that win at better ball.

Frequently asked questions

What is foursomes in the Ryder Cup?

Foursomes is alternate-shot match play. Two team-mates share a single ball and take turns hitting it — one drives on the odd holes, the other on the evens, and they alternate every shot in between, including putts. Two matches worth of nerve packed into one ball.

How do players decide who tees off on which hole?

The pair chooses before the round which partner takes the odd-numbered tees and which takes the evens, and they stick to it for all 18 holes. Captains think hard about this — it decides who hits the tee shots on the toughest or most decisive holes.

Why is foursomes considered the hardest format?

Because you are hitting shots from wherever your partner leaves the ball, and any mistake is immediately your partner's problem. It exposes a mismatch in a pairing faster than any other format, which is why chemistry matters so much — a theme built into Drive for Five's pairing system.

Related: scoring explained, foursomes, fourballs, pairing strategy, and the greatest captains.

Drive for Five is an independent, unofficial fan project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Ryder Cup, the PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe, the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, or any player, team or organisation mentioned. All ratings are subjective interpretations created for the game.