The Ryder Cup is a unique stage in golf as the usual individual aspect of the sport is swept away for the tribal intensity that comes with playing for a team.
It’s Team Europe against Team USA in a battle between two golfing powerhouses on the biggest of all stages.
Points are scored differently at the Ryder Cup, as it is a matchplay format, with points won based on who has the lower score at the end of their round, while points can be halved for a draw.
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Some of the very best in the competition’s history have been the most consistent when it comes to scoring, laying it all on the line for the team.
For Team USA, their list of top scorers consists of many legendary figures across many eras of the Ryder Cup.
So, with that said, here’s a look at the top ten American points scorers in the history of the Ryder Cup.
10: Hale Irwin – 14 points
Hale Irwin made five appearances for the USA in the Ryder Cup, spanning from 1975 to 1991, where he was a regular feature.
Five triumphs and 14 points earned over that spell make him one of the top scorers in the nation’s history in the competition.
Irwin’s most memorable moment in the Ryder Cup came in 1991, when his nation held a 14-13 lead over Europe heading into the final hole, with a win for the visitors offering a draw and retention of the trophy.
Despite a disappointing bogey on the last, a missed putt from Bernhard Langer meant the points were halved and USA won the cup again.
9: Tiger Woods – 14.5 points
In eight appearances in the Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods has managed to pick up 14.5 points with a few triumphs to his name.
The American star had a few memorable moments, including an impressive 12th hole eagle at the 2010 Ryder Cup.
While he had a decent record on the singles stage, Tiger struggled more on foursomes and fourballs.
8: Tom Kite – 17 points
Tom Kite featured in seven Ryder Cups from 1979 to 1993, landing 60% of his points available in the competition.
Nicknamed “Mr Consistency” for a reason, the star managed to end off as unbeaten in singles, winning five and halving two holes of the seven meetings he managed.
There were struggles on the foursomes and fourballs, however, but Kite managed to land a fair few points in his time.
7: Gene Littler – 18 points
Gene Littler has one of the best point percentages in the history of USA stars at the Ryder Cup, landing 66.67% of those available.
Gene the Machine played in the competition seven times, featuring from 1961 until 1975.
He is the only one in the top ten who was unbeaten in fourballs, while he maintained a positive score across the singles and foursomes too.
His ability to keep the US in a positive state is clear, having held the record for the most points halved by a single golfer.
6: Jack Nicklaus – 18.5 points
Jack Nicklaus is often considered among the very best golfers of all time, and his Ryder Cup record certainly goes some way to proving that.
Over six competitions – spanning 1969 to 1981 – the Golden Bear was incredibly consistent for the USA.
Nicklaus went on to lose only eight of his 28 matches, meaning that he was able to score points for his team on the other 20 occasions.
5: Lee Trevino – 20 points
Making up a formidable era of US golfers, Lee Trevino was part of the same team as Jack Nicklaus that featured from 1969 until 1981.
He went on to play an extra two matches over his compatriot in sixth, which has bagged him an extra point-and-a-half.
Trevino was also the non-playing captain in 1985, helping the USA land a first Ryder Cup triumph on European soil since 1957, ending a long drought for his nation.
4: Lanny Wadkins – 21.5 points
Between 1977 and 1993, Lanny Wadkins featured for the USA in eight Ryder Cups, winning it five times.
Like some of those before him, Wadkins became the non-playing captain in 1995.
He managed 20 wins of his 34 matches played across those eight competitions, which handed him his large points haul.
A standout point for Wadkins was his display late in the 1983 Ryder Cup, where he helped his side win the contest.
3: Phil Mickelson – 21.5 points
Phil Mickelson was an ever-present force for the USA in the Ryder Cup, featuring in 12 meetings between the two sides – the most of any player in his team’s history by some distance.
With 21.5 points, the star won 18 of his 47 matches, but lost 22 of them.
1995 was a particular standout for Mickelson, his first in the Ryder Cup, where he ended unbeaten with a 3-0-0 record.
2: Arnold Palmer – 23 points
The legendary Arnold Palmer has the best point percentage record in the top ten for the USA, winning 71.88% of those available.
His overall record of 22-8-2 is among the very best, turning plenty of halves into full points during his rounds.
With six tournaments and one captaincy over the years, Palmer is certainly among the very best for his nation.
1: Billy Casper – 23.5 points
The top-scorer for the USA in the Ryder Cup is Billy Casper, who has picked up 23.5 points over eight competitions.
Featuring from 1961 until 1975, Buffalo Bill ended with a record of 20-10-7 overall across all formats in the Ryder Cup.
His consistency over eight consecutive clashes makes Casper one of the best Ryder Cup players of all time.
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