Ryder Cup qualification process: How points system works?

September is approaching and with it, one of the most anticipated events on the world golf calendar: the Ryder Cup. The professional season is still underway, but the biannual United States versus Europe showdown is already in the sights of all fans.

Joining the Ryder Cup team, whether American or European, is considered a high honor. The players who are called up to play for their team consider the qualification as one of the bigest recognitions of their quality and performance during the season.

Ryder Cup qualification process

The qualification process to integrate the teams to the Ryder Cup is not always the same. Europe and America follow different systems, and even the way in which the same selection is defined varies from one edition to another.

However, what both processes have in common is that they work on the basis of a points system. Let's see the particularities of one and the other for the current edition:

European points system

According to the established ranking system, six players automatically qualify the European team for the Ryder Cup. They are the top three in the European Points List and the top three in the World Points List.

Both lists are integrated according to the tournaments that provide the points. DP World Tour tournaments give points for the European Points List, and tournaments of any other circuit give points for the World Points List.

Points are assigned as follows:

• Majors / DP World Tour Championship: 6.000 points
• Other Rolex Series events / World Golf Championships: 5.000 points
• Events of US $5 million or over 3,500 points
• Events of US $2 million or over: 2,500 points
• Events under US $2 million: 1,500 points
• No points will be available from any tournament played anywhere in the world scheduled against a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour.

Once the six direct qualified have been determined, this year's captain, Luke Donald, will freely select the other six members of the team. He will be assisted by his vice-captains.

American points system

On the American side the ranking system has its own method of assigning points. However, it shares the characteristic that six players qualify directly to the Ryder Cup team.

The system implemented this year by American captain Zach Johnson takes into account some tournaments played in 2022 and all those corresponding to the year 2023. The basis for the allocation of points is the monetary earnings of the players.

The points are assigned as follows:

2022

• 1 point per $1,000 earned at the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open
• 1 point per $2,000 earned at THE PLAYERS Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Championship, WGC-HSBC Championship

2023

• 1 point per $1,000 earned at regular PGA Tour events beginning January 1, including the Zurich Classic and WGC events, through the BMW Championship (August 20)
• 2 points per $1,000 earned for winner of the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open
• 1.5 points per $1,000 earned for all others that make the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open
• No points available at PGA Tour opposite-field events

Like their European counterparts, the American captain and vice-captains will freely select six players after the first six players who qualify in their own right are determined.