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Sam Torrance

Scotland · born , Largs, Scotland

10Ryder Cup points from 28 matches

Summary

  • Ryder Cup 8 Cups · 7-15-6 · 10 points (35.7%)
  • Singles 2-3-3 · Foursomes 3-7-0 · Four-ball 2-5-3
  • Ryder Cup captain 2002
  • Open top 10s 1981 (5), 1984 (T9)

Near misses

  1. 1981 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished 5 · 284 (+4)
  2. 1984 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T9 · 284 (-4)

Ryder Cup

8 Cups, 28 matches: 7 won, 15 lost, 6 halved, 10 points. Foursomes 3-7-0, four-ball 2-5-3, singles 2-3-3.

  1. 1981 Walton Heath Golf Club Europe · USA won 18.5–9.5 · 0-3-1, 0.5 points · automatic
  2. 1983 PGA National Golf Club Europe · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 1-2-2, 2 points · automatic
  3. 1985 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) Europe · Europe won 16.5–11.5 · 2-2-0, 2 points · automatic
  4. 1987 Muirfield Village Golf Club Europe · Europe won 15–13 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points · automatic
  5. 1989 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) Europe · tied 14–14 · 1-2-0, 1 point · automatic
  6. 1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort Europe · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 0-2-1, 0.5 points · automatic
  7. 1993 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) Europe · USA won 15–13 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points · automatic
  8. 1995 Oak Hill Country Club (East Course) Europe · Europe won 14.5–13.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points · automatic
  9. 2002 Captain Europe · won 15.5–12.5

Rivals

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Howard Clark's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1985 Ryder Cup Sam Torrance holed a birdie putt on 18 to beat Andy North 1 up and win the Cup for Europe, its first win since 1957.

Results by championship

    Best day

    1995 Ryder Cup

    Oak Hill Country Club (East Course) · Europe won 14.5–13.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points

    Chosen by rule: his best Ryder Cup by points. Year page: 1995.

    Career line, 1981–1995

    The Open
    1981 The Open: finished 51984 The Open: finished T9
    Ryder Cup
    1981 Ryder Cup (Europe): 0-3-11983 Ryder Cup (Europe): 1-2-21985 Ryder Cup (Europe): 2-2-01987 Ryder Cup (Europe): 0-1-11989 Ryder Cup (Europe): 1-2-01991 Ryder Cup (Europe): 0-2-11993 Ryder Cup (Europe): 0-1-11995 Ryder Cup (Europe): 3-2-0
    198519901995

    10 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, GB / Europe

    Sam Torrance was born in 1953 in Largs, Scotland. Torrance played in 8 Ryder Cups for Europe (1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995), winning 7, losing 15 and halving 6 of 28 matches for 10 points, and captained the side in 2002.

    See Sam Torrance in our rooms: The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1981 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished 5 · 284 (+4)
    2. 1984 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T9 · 284 (-4)

    Ryder Cup

    Torrance played 8 Ryder Cups for Europe: 28 matches, 7 won, 15 lost, 6 halved, 10 points (35.7% of those available). By format: foursomes 3-7-0, four-ball 2-5-3, singles 2-3-3 (won-lost-halved). Vice-captain: 1999; 2014; 2016.

    1. 1981 Walton Heath Golf Club Europe · USA won 18.5–9.5 · 0-3-1, 0.5 points · automatic
    2. 1983 PGA National Golf Club Europe · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 1-2-2, 2 points · automatic
    3. 1985 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) Europe · Europe won 16.5–11.5 · 2-2-0, 2 points · automatic
    4. 1987 Muirfield Village Golf Club Europe · Europe won 15–13 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points · automatic
    5. 1989 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) Europe · tied 14–14 · 1-2-0, 1 point · automatic
    6. 1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort Europe · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 0-2-1, 0.5 points · automatic
    7. 1993 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) Europe · USA won 15–13 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points · automatic
    8. 1995 Oak Hill Country Club (East Course) Europe · Europe won 14.5–13.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points · automatic
    9. 2002 Captain Europe · won 15.5–12.5

    Partners, with matches played together: Howard Clark (5), Costantino Rocca (3), José María Cañizares (2), Ian Woosnam (2), Gordon Brand Jnr (2), David Feherty (2), Nick Faldo (1), Peter Oosterhuis (1), Mark James (1), Colin Montgomerie (1).

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. WP: List of European Ryder Cup golfers
    2. WP: Sam Torrance
    3. Golf Compendium
    4. R&A 1981
    5. R&A 1984
    6. GC: 1981 ryder cup
    7. Wikipedia: 1981 Ryder Cup
    8. GC: 1983 ryder cup
    9. Wikipedia: 1983 Ryder Cup
    10. GC: 1985 ryder cup
    11. Wikipedia: 1985 Ryder Cup
    12. GC: 1987 ryder cup
    13. Wikipedia: 1987 Ryder Cup
    14. GC: 1989 ryder cup
    15. Wikipedia: 1989 Ryder Cup
    16. GC: 1991 ryder cup
    17. Wikipedia: 1991 Ryder Cup
    18. GC: 1993 ryder cup
    19. Wikipedia: 1993 Ryder Cup
    20. GC: 1995 ryder cup
    21. Deseret News 1995
    22. Wikipedia: 1995 Ryder Cup
    23. Golf Channel
    24. WP Ryder Cup