How it works: Ryder Cup qualification
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The 2023 Ryder Cup will be contested this Sept. 26-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. The U.S. Team, captained by Zach Johnson, looks to win on European soil for the first time since 1993.
The European Team, led by Captain Luke Donald and likely to feature Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, is keen on keeping that three-decade streak alive.
Twelve players from each side will make up the teams that compete in the three-day, match-play competition, with teams comprising a mix of automatic qualifiers and captains’ picks. However, the selection criteria differ slightly for each side.
Here’s a breakdown of how players will qualify for the 2023 Ryder Cup:
U.S. Team
Automatic qualifiers: Six (6)
Captain’s picks: Six (6)
The qualification period began in 2022 and concludes immediately after the second FedExCup Playoffs event, the BMW Championship, on Aug. 20. The top six players on the rankings list will secure spots on the U.S. Team.
Points distribution for the U.S. Team is 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 and WGC-HSBC Championship
2023
• 1 point per $1,000 earned at standard PGA TOUR events beginning Jan. 1, including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and WGC events, through the BMW Championship
• 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 Additional events
A week after the six automatic qualifiers are determined, Johnson will announce his six captain’s picks on Aug. 28, the day following the conclusion of the TOUR Championship.
European Team
Automatic qualifiers: Six (6)
Captain’s picks: (6)
Three players will qualify automatically from the European Points List, and three players will qualify automatically from the World Points List. These standings, which began at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, will be finalized on Sept. 3, three weeks before the Ryder Cup.
The European Points List comprises all DP World Tour events during the qualification period, with points distributed in proportion to tournament significance. The points bucket is comprised as follows: Majors/DP World Tour Championship (6,000 points), WGC/other Rolex Series events (5000 points), events with $5 million U.S. purse or higher (3,500 points), events with $2 million or more (up to $5 million) U.S. purse (2,500 points), events under $2 million U.S. purse (1,500 points).
The World Points List accumulates all Official World Golf Ranking points earned across the qualification period, excluding any event scheduled in the same period as a Rolex Series event. (During the final week of qualification, only that week’s DP World Tour event will count.)
After the six automatic qualifiers are determined, Captain Luke Donald will select six captain’s picks to round out the contingent. This number is up from the three picks that former Captain Padraig Harrington had in 2021.