1991 Ryder Cup: USA wins at The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort
USA won the 1991 Ryder Cup 14½–13½ over Europe at The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1991 in the Ryder Cup room, or every year on the Ryder Cup results list.
- Dates
- September 27, 1991 to September 29, 1991
- Course
- The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States
- Edition
- 29th Ryder Cup
- Teams
- USA v Europe
- Result
- USA 14½, Europe 13½ · USA won by 1 point
- Points to win
- 14½ (holder retains with 14)
- USA captain
- Dave Stockton
- Europe captain
- Bernard Gallacher
- Holder after
- USA
- Winning point
- Hale Irwin (USA) · Irwin halved with Bernhard Langer (last match)
Session 1: foursomes, September 27, 1991 (AM)
Session: USA 3, Europe 1 · running score USA 3, Europe 1.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Azinger and Chip Beck | Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 2 | Raymond Floyd and Fred Couples | Bernhard Langer and Mark James | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 3 | Lanny Wadkins and Hale Irwin | David Gilford and Colin Montgomerie | 4 & 2 | USA |
| 4 | Payne Stewart and Mark Calcavecchia | Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam | 1 up | USA |
Session 2: four-ball, September 27, 1991 (PM)
Session: USA 1½, Europe 2½ · running score USA 4½, Europe 3½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lanny Wadkins and Mark O'Meara | Sam Torrance and David Feherty | halved | halved |
| 2 | Paul Azinger and Chip Beck | Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 3 | Corey Pavin and Mark Calcavecchia | Steven Richardson and Mark James | 5 & 4 | Europe |
| 4 | Raymond Floyd and Fred Couples | Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam | 5 & 3 | USA |
Session 3: foursomes, September 28, 1991 (AM)
Session: USA 3, Europe 1 · running score USA 7½, Europe 4½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hale Irwin and Lanny Wadkins | David Feherty and Sam Torrance | 4 & 2 | USA |
| 2 | Mark Calcavecchia and Payne Stewart | Mark James and Steven Richardson | 1 up | USA |
| 3 | Paul Azinger and Mark O'Meara | Nick Faldo and David Gilford | 7 & 6 | USA |
| 4 | Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd | Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal | 3 & 2 | Europe |
Session 4: four-ball, September 28, 1991 (PM)
Session: USA ½, Europe 3½ · running score USA 8, Europe 8.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Azinger and Hale Irwin | Ian Woosnam and Paul Broadhurst | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 2 | Corey Pavin and Steve Pate | Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 3 | Lanny Wadkins and Wayne Levi | Mark James and Steven Richardson | 3 & 1 | Europe |
| 4 | Payne Stewart and Fred Couples | Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal | halved | halved |
Session 5: singles, September 29, 1991 (all day)
Session: USA 6½, Europe 5½ · running score USA 14½, Europe 13½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Pate | David Gilford | halved | halved |
| 2 | Payne Stewart | David Feherty | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 3 | Raymond Floyd | Nick Faldo | 2 up | Europe |
| 4 | Mark Calcavecchia | Colin Montgomerie | halved | halved |
| 5 | Corey Pavin | Steven Richardson | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 6 | Wayne Levi | Seve Ballesteros | 3 & 2 | Europe |
| 7 | Paul Azinger | José María Olazábal | 2 up | USA |
| 8 | Chip Beck | Ian Woosnam | 3 & 1 | USA |
| 9 | Mark O'Meara | Paul Broadhurst | 3 & 1 | Europe |
| 10 | Fred Couples | Sam Torrance | 3 & 2 | USA |
| 11 | Lanny Wadkins | Mark James | 3 & 2 | USA |
| 12 | Hale Irwin | Bernhard Langer | halved | halved |
USA team, 1991
| Player | Nationality | Rookie | W-L-H | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Azinger | United States | 2-3-0 | 2 | |
| Chip Beck | United States | 1-2-0 | 1 | |
| Mark Calcavecchia | United States | 2-1-1 | 2½ | |
| Fred Couples | United States | 3-1-1 | 3½ | |
| Raymond Floyd | United States | 2-2-0 | 2 | |
| Hale Irwin | United States | 2-1-1 | 2½ | |
| Wayne Levi | United States | yes | 0-2-0 | 0 |
| Mark O'Meara | United States | 1-1-1 | 1½ | |
| Steve Pate | United States | yes | 0-1-1 | ½ |
| Corey Pavin | United States | yes | 1-2-0 | 1 |
| Payne Stewart | United States | 2-1-1 | 2½ | |
| Lanny Wadkins | United States | 3-1-1 | 3½ |
Europe team, 1991
| Player | Nationality | Rookie | W-L-H | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seve Ballesteros | Spain | 4-0-1 | 4½ | |
| Paul Broadhurst | England | yes | 2-0-0 | 2 |
| Nick Faldo | England | 1-3-0 | 1 | |
| David Feherty | Northern Ireland | yes | 1-1-1 | 1½ |
| David Gilford | England | yes | 0-2-1 | ½ |
| Mark James | England | 2-3-0 | 2 | |
| Bernhard Langer | Germany | 1-1-1 | 1½ | |
| Colin Montgomerie | Scotland | yes | 1-1-1 | 1½ |
| José María Olazábal | Spain | 3-1-1 | 3½ | |
| Steven Richardson | England | yes | 2-2-0 | 2 |
| Sam Torrance | Scotland | 0-2-1 | ½ | |
| Ian Woosnam | Wales | 1-3-0 | 1 |
What happened at the 1991 Ryder Cup
"War on the Shore": the last match came down to the 18th green, where Langer's 6-foot putt to win his match and keep the Cup for Europe slid past.
Steve Pate was hurt in a car accident on the eve of the matches. He was withdrawn from singles, so his match with David Gilford (Europe's envelope player) was recorded as a half, which became decisive.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's Ryder Cup data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: ryder-cup.csv (the Ryder Cup room's record), with every match and team sheet from GNN's Ryder Cup data.