The 16th Ryder Cup Matches were held 7–9 October 1965 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. For the first time commercialisation started to make a presence on site.[citation needed] The United States team won the competition by a score of 1912 to 1212 points.[1][2]

16th Ryder Cup Matches
Dates7–9 October 1965
VenueRoyal Birkdale Golf Club
LocationSouthport, England
Captains
United Kingdom 1212 1912 United States
United States wins the Ryder Cup
← 1963
1967 →
Royal Birkdale Golf Club is located in England
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Royal Birkdale Golf Club

Format

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The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. From 1963 through 1971 the competition format was as follows:

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

With a total of 32 points, 1612 points were required to win the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 18 holes.

Teams

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Source:[3]

The British team was determined using a points system. Compared to the system used in 1963, there was more emphasis on high finishes, points only being allocated to the leading 20 rather than the leading 40. Points were based on the actual finishing position, whereas previously non-eligible players had been excluded in determining positions. In addition, points were earned in a number of invitation events, including the Dunlop Masters, the Martini International and the Esso Golden Tournament. The Open champion remained an automatic choice but the News of the World Match Play champion was no longer guaranteed a place. Counting tournaments started with the 1964 Carroll Sweet Afton Tournament and finished with the 1965 Esso Golden Tournament.[4] For the 1965 event the British PGA reduced the period that a tournament professional had to wait before becoming eligible for the Ryder Cup team from five years to three. This meant that ex-amateur golfers like Guy Wolstenholme (who turned professional in late 1960) and Doug Sewell (1961) became eligible.[5] The field for the 1965 Esso Golden Tournament were the first 15 in the Ryder Cup points list. Before the event the leading seven were guaranteed their place in the team; the remaining eight being in contention for the three remaining places.[6] Jimmy Hitchcock and Dave Thomas who were 8th and 9th before the event retained their places in the top 10 but Wolstenholme, who started 10th, was passed by George Will, the winner of the tournament.[7]

  Team Great Britain
Name Age Points
rank
Previous
Ryder Cups
Matches W–L–H Winning
percentage
  Harry Weetman 44 Non-playing captain
  Peter Alliss 34 5 5 15 4–7–4 40.00
  Peter Butler 33 3 0 Rookie
  Neil Coles 31 2 2 10 2–5–3 35.00
  Jimmy Hitchcock 35 10 0 Rookie
  Bernard Hunt 35 1 5 15 3–9–3 30.00
  Jimmy Martin 41 7 0 Rookie
  Christy O'Connor Snr 40 4 5 14 4–9–1 32.14
  Lionel Platts 30 6 0 Rookie
  Dave Thomas 31 8 2 8 0–5–3 18.75
  George Will 28 9 1 4 1–3–0 25.00

Despite having won his fourth major title as a professional at the Masters Tournament in April, 25-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.[8][9] 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.

Pott did not play due to a back injury.[10]

  Team USA
Name Age Previous
Ryder Cups
Matches W–L–H Winning
percentage
Byron Nelson 53 Non-playing captain
Julius Boros 45 2 6 3–1–2 66.67
Billy Casper 34 2 8 7–0–1 93.75
Tommy Jacobs 30 0 Rookie
Don January 35 0 Rookie
Tony Lema 31 1 5 3–0–2 80.00
Gene Littler 35 2 8 3–1–4 62.50
Dave Marr 31 0 Rookie
Arnold Palmer 36 2 10 7–2–1 75.00
Johnny Pott 29 1 3 1–2–0 33.33
Ken Venturi 34 0 Rookie

Thursday's matches

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Morning foursomes

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  Results  
Platts/Butler   1 up Boros/Lema
Thomas/Will   6 & 5 Palmer/Marr
Hunt/Coles   2 & 1 Casper/Littler
Alliss/O'Connor   5 & 4 Venturi/January
2 Session 2
2 Overall 2

Afternoon foursomes

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  Results  
Thomas/Will   6 & 5 Palmer/Marr
Alliss/O'Connor   2 & 1 Casper/Littler
Martin/Hitchcock   5 & 4 Boros/Lema
Hunt/Coles   3 & 2 Venturi/January
2 Session 2
4 Overall 4

Friday's matches

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Morning four-ball

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  Results  
Thomas/Will   1 up January/Jacobs
Platts/Butler halved Casper/Littler
Alliss/O'Connor   6 & 4 Palmer/Marr
Hunt/Coles   1 up Boros/Lema
112 Session 212
512 Overall 612

Afternoon four-ball

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  Results  
Alliss/O'Connor   2 up Palmer/Marr
Thomas/Will   1 up January/Jacobs
Platts/Butler halved Casper/Littler
Hunt/Coles   1 up Venturi/Lema
112 Session 212
7 Overall 9

Saturday's matches

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Morning singles

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  Results  
Jimmy Hitchcock   3 & 2 Arnold Palmer
Lionel Platts   4 & 2 Julius Boros
Peter Butler   1 up Tony Lema
Neil Coles   2 up Dave Marr
Bernard Hunt   2 up Gene Littler
Dave Thomas   2 & 1 Tommy Jacobs
Peter Alliss   1 up Billy Casper
George Will halved Don January
212 Session 512
912 Overall 1412

Afternoon singles

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  Results  
Christy O'Connor   6 & 4 Tony Lema
Jimmy Hitchcock   2 & 1 Julius Boros
Peter Butler   2 up Arnold Palmer
Peter Alliss   3 & 1 Ken Venturi
Neil Coles   3 & 2 Billy Casper
George Will   2 & 1 Gene Littler
Bernard Hunt   1 up Dave Marr
Lionel Platts   1 up Tommy Jacobs
3 Session 5
1212 Overall 1912

Individual player records

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Each entry refers to the win–loss–half record of the player.

Source:[3]

Great Britain

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Player Points Overall Singles Foursomes Fourballs
Peter Alliss 5 5–1–0 2–0–0 2–0–0 1–1–0
Peter Butler 1 0–3–2 0–2–0 0–1–0 0–0–2
Neil Coles 3 3–3–0 1–1–0 1–1–0 1–1–0
Jimmy Hitchcock 0 0–3–0 0–2–0 0–1–0 0–0–0
Bernard Hunt 3 3–3–0 1–1–0 1–1–0 1–1–0
Jimmy Martin 0 0–1–0 0–0–0 0–1–0 0–0–0
Christy O'Connor 3 3–2–0 0–1–0 2–0–0 1–1–0
Lionel Platts 2 1–2–2 1–1–0 0–1–0 0–0–2
Dave Thomas 1 1–4–0 0–1–0 1–1–0 0–2–0
George Will 1.5 1–4–1 0–1–1 1–1–0 0–2–0

United States

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Player Points Overall Singles Foursomes Fourballs
Julius Boros 4 4–1–0 2–0–0 2–0–0 0–1–0
Billy Casper 2 1–3–2 0–2–0 1–1–0 0–0–2
Tommy Jacobs 3 3–1–0 1–1–0 0–0–0 2–0–0
Don January 2.5 2–2–1 0–0–1 0–2–0 2–0–0
Tony Lema 5 5–1–0 2–0–0 2–0–0 1–1–0
Gene Littler 3 2–2–2 1–1–0 1–1–0 0–0–2
Dave Marr 4 4–2–0 2–0–0 1–1–0 1–1–0
Arnold Palmer 4 4–2–0 2–0–0 1–1–0 1–1–0
Ken Venturi 1 1–3–0 0–1–0 0–2–0 1–0–0

Johnny Pott did not play in any matches.

References

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  1. ^ "United States keeps Cup; Arnold Palmer paces win". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. 10 October 1965. p. 6B.
  2. ^ Wright, Alfred (18 October 1965). "Byron's boys beat the British Cup team". Sports Illustrated. p. 79.
  3. ^ a b "2016 Ryder Cup Media Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Change in Ryder Cup selection". The Times. 15 January 1963. p. 4.
  5. ^ "P.G.A. relax Ryder Cup rule". The Times. 8 February 1964. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Eight fight for three places". The Times. 22 July 1965. p. 3.
  7. ^ "British team for Ryder Cup match". Glasgow Herald. 26 July 1965. p. 4.
  8. ^ "Media Guide: 1965 Ryder Cup". PGA of America. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  9. ^ "Media Guide: 1967 Ryder Cup". PGA of America. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  10. ^ "Cocky Ryder Cup Teams Tee Off". The Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 7 October 1965. p. 52. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
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53°37′19″N 3°01′59″W / 53.622°N 3.033°W / 53.622; -3.033