The 5 Best USA Ryder Cup Captains in History
The Greatest Ryder Cup Captains for America
The USA is no stranger to Ryder Cup victory - and some incredible captains have led America to greatness over the years.
But who are the best USA Ryder Cup captains in history? Sports writer Ross Kilvington lists his top 5.
Arnold Palmer - one of the greatest US Ryder Cup captains of all-time
The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club this week - and it certainly doesn’t feel like two years since Team USA handed the Europeans their heaviest-ever defeat, prevailing 19-9 at Whistling Straits.
A lot has changed in professional golf since then, with the Ryder Cup looking slightly different to what it perhaps should have looked like prior to LIV golf entering the fray.
Last week, we discussed the 5 best European Ryder Cup captains in history - but what about their rivals across the pond?
With one of golf’s finest biennial competitions just days away, we take a look at the 5 best USA Ryder Cup captains in the history of the tournament.
1. Walter Hagen
He captained the USA team for the first six Ryder Cup events
He achieved two victories in succession: 1935 and 1937
The most successful Ryder Cup captain with four victories
Not quite content with his 11 major victories, Hagen captained the USA team for the first six Ryder Cup events as he sought to establish America’s dominance of the competition from the word go.
He led the USA to victory by a score of 9.5-2.5 in 1927 in what was a rather comfortable performance by the Americans, yet it was Great Britain who won on home soil two years later, winning the final day singles by three points to claim their first win by seven points to five.
The gold trophy went back and forth over the next couple of editions before Hagen finally led the USA to two victories in succession in 1935 and 1937, and these were the first two of seven wins on the bounce between 1935 and 1955.
Hagen is the most successful captain across both sides of the Atlantic with four victories - and his contributions to the Ryder Cup shouldn’t be underestimated.
2. Arnold Palmer
The youngest captain in Ryder Cup history
The 1963 Ryder Cup showcased the best of US golfing talent
Palmer also captained in 1975
Arnold Palmer, one of the greatest golfers of all-time, first led Team USA when he was still in his pomp as a player, becoming the final ever playing captain in the history of the competition and at just 34 years old, he is still the youngest ever captain from both sides.
The 1963 event showcased the USA at its finest and Great Britain at its worst, with the away side claiming just nine points. The Ryder Cup was played over three days for the first time, introducing fourball, which took place alongside foursomes and the final day singles.
The enigmatic Palmer led from the front and eventually claimed four points from six matches as the USA strolled to a stunning 23-9 victory. He would get another crack at the captaincy in 1975.
This time, Palmer was captain in a non-playing capacity and, although he was still playing on the PGA Tour, his best days were clearly behind him.
The writing was on the wall for the Great Britain and Ireland team right from the first sessions, as the USA secured a 4-0 whitewash and the event finished 21-11 to the home side, as Palmer captained in his home state of Pennsylvania.
3. Paul Azinger
Two-time major winner and 1993 PGA Championship winner
He captained the 2008 event at Valhalla Golf Club
He oversaw their biggest margin of victory since 1981: 16.5-11.5
There may be a 33-year gap between Palmer and Azinger’s captaincy, but since continental Europeans were allowed to play from 1979, the event started to experience more close calls between the two teams.
The USA still claimed victory in 1979, 1981 and 1983 before Tony Jacklin stopped the rot as Europe won for the first time since 1957.
Two years later, the two-time major winner led his team to victory on American soil, a defining moment in the competition.
Since then, only Dave Stockton, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw led the USA to victory before Azinger took up the mantle for the 2008 event held at Valhalla Golf Club, as he looked to stop Europe from winning an unprecedented four tournaments in succession.
He established a pod system within the American team which proved to be a successful strategy, and after the first two days, the 1993 PGA Championship winner had masterminded his team to a 9-7 advantage heading into the singles.
His rookies played a key part on the final day as they won 4.5 points from six and the USA never looked back, prevailing 16.5-11.5 in what was their biggest margin of victory since 1981 - making it one of the greatest USA Ryder Cup victories of all-time!
4. Davis Love III
1997 PGA Championship winner
He oversaw the disappointing defeat at Medinah
In 2016, the USA won the Ryder Cup 17-11 under Davis Love III’s leadership
If it weren’t for the freakish result at Medinah, a result which captures the agony and ecstasy of the Ryder Cup in equal measure, Davis Love III would be sitting as a two-time winning Ryder Cup captain.
Alas, it wasn’t to be in 2012. Having led his team into a seemingly insurmountable 10-6 lead following the second day, it looked as though it was a matter of when, not if, the USA would clinch the trophy.
Europe appeared to be disjointed over the first two days and it took a late, late fightback from Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy to clinch a crucial point - and it certainly proved decisive.
Channelling the inner spirit of Seve Ballesteros – who sadly passed away the year before – Jose Maria Olazabal’s side won the first singles tie, then the second and so on. Before long, they were leading 11-10 and the comeback was very much on.
Martin Kaymer sank a six-foot putt that meant Europe retained the cup and the final match between Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari was tied, giving the away side the outright win.
The 1997 PGA Championship winner made amends four years later as he was given a second chance, and his team took full advantage of a European side which featured six rookies.
The Americans once again headed into the singles of a home Ryder Cup with a sizeable lead, but this time, they prevailed rather easily at 17-11 to ensure Davis Love III finally captained a winning team.
5. Steve Stricker
A 12-time PGA Tour winner
He led the USA to victory in the 2017 Presidents Cup
In 2021, Europe lost 19-9 - their worst score since 1979
Thomas Bjorn led Europe to an impressive win in 2018 as Jim Furyk’s American side simply ran out of ideas (while failing to handle the partnership of Tommy Fleetwood and Molinari).
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was postponed a year until 2021 and whether this had an impact on the event from a European perspective remains to be seen.
Stricker, however, was a highly efficient captain. Having led the USA to victory in the 2017 Presidents Cup, the 12-time PGA Tour winner knew how to forge a group of players that would leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of glory.
Whistling Straits was a bridge too far for the European stalwarts of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, who won just five points between them as the USA dominated the opening two days of play.
Stricker’s men won each of the first three sessions by a score of 3-1 and, although the fourth session finished 2-2, there was no way an 11-5 deficit was going to be overturned.
In the end, Europe won just three of the 12 singles matches and went down 19-9, their worst score since the event allowed continental Europeans the chance to feature back in 1979.
With both teams looking much more evenly matched this time around, who will come out on top in Rome? Tell us all your thoughts in the comments!
