1963 Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format changed in 1963, with the addition of four-ball (better ball) matches on a third day of play. The schedule of play was as follows:

• Day 1 (Friday) — 8 foursomes (alternate shot) matches, 4 each in morning and afternoon sessions
• Day 2 (Saturday) — 8 four-ball (better ball) matches, 4 each in morning and afternoon sessions
• Day 3 (Sunday) — 16 singles matches, 8 each in morning and afternoon sessions

With a total of 32 points, 161⁄2 points were required to win the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 18 holes.

Source: ^[5]

In his second Ryder Cup, Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain in the competition. He was 3–1 in pairs and 1–1 in singles.

Despite having won his third major title as a professional at the PGA Championship in July, 23-year-old Jack Nicklaus was not a member of the U.S. team. Eligibility rules set by the PGA prevented him from participating in the Ryder Cup until 1969.^[6][7] He competed as a player through 1981, missing only the 1979 edition, and was the non-playing captain of the U.S. team in 1983 and 1987.

Team USA
Name	Age	Previous Ryder Cups	Matches	W–L–H	Winning percentage
Arnold Palmer – captain	34	1	4	3–0–1	87.50
Julius Boros	43	1	1	1–0–0	100.00
Billy Casper	32	1	3	3–0–0	100.00
Dow Finsterwald	34	3	7	5–2–0	71.43
Bob Goalby	34	0	Rookie
Tony Lema	29	0	Rookie
Gene Littler	33	1	3	0–1–2	33.33
Billy Maxwell	34	0	Rookie
Johnny Pott	27	0	Rookie
Dave Ragan	28	0	Rookie

The British team was determined using a points system, points being earned in 9 stroke-play events during the 1963 season. Winners of the 1963 Open Championship and News of the World Match Play received automatic places.^[8] The first qualifying event was the Schweppes PGA Close Championship in early April with the Senior Service Tournament in September being the final one. Dave Thomas won the News of the World Match Play but, since he finished 9th in the points list, the team was filled with the leading 10 players in the points list: Coles, Bernard Hunt, Huggett, Alliss, Haliburton, O'Connor, Weetman, Will, Thomas and Geoff Hunt.^[9]

Team Great Britain
Name	Age	Previous Ryder Cups	Matches	W–L–H	Winning percentage
John Fallon	50	Non-playing captain
Peter Alliss	32	4	10	3–5–2	40.00
Neil Coles	29	1	4	1–2–1	37.50
Tom Haliburton	48	1	3	0–3–0	0.00
Brian Huggett	26	0	Rookie
Bernard Hunt	33	4	9	2–6–1	27.78
Geoffrey Hunt	27	0	Rookie
Christy O'Connor Snr	38	4	9	3–5–1	38.89
Dave Thomas	29	1	2	0–1–1	25.00
Harry Weetman	42	6	10	1–8–1	15.00
George Will	26	0	Rookie