1997 Ryder Cup: Europe wins at Valderrama Golf Club
Europe won the 1997 Ryder Cup 14½–13½ over the USA at Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Andalusia, Spain.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1997 in the Ryder Cup room, or every year on the Ryder Cup results list.
- Dates
- 26 September 1997 to 28 September 1997
- Course
- Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Andalusia, Spain
- Edition
- 32nd Ryder Cup
- Teams
- USA v Europe
- Result
- USA 13½, Europe 14½ · Europe won by 1 point
- Points to win
- 14½ (holder retains with 14)
- USA captain
- Tom Kite
- Europe captain
- Seve Ballesteros
- Holder after
- Europe
- Winning point
- Colin Montgomerie (Europe), outright-win half · Montgomerie halved with Scott Hoch (final match)
- Retaining point
- probable, inferred not confirmed: Bernhard Langer d. Brad Faxon 2 & 1
Session 1: four-ball, 26 September 1997 (AM)
Session: USA 2, Europe 2 · running score USA 2, Europe 2.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson | José María Olazábal and Costantino Rocca | 1 up | Europe |
| 2 | Fred Couples and Brad Faxon | Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood | 1 up | USA |
| 3 | Tom Lehman and Jim Furyk | Jesper Parnevik and Per-Ulrik Johansson | 1 up | Europe |
| 4 | Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara | Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer | 3 & 2 | USA |
Session 2: foursomes, 26 September 1997 (PM)
Session: USA 1½, Europe 2½ · running score USA 3½, Europe 4½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Hoch and Lee Janzen | Costantino Rocca and José María Olazábal | 1 up | USA |
| 2 | Mark O'Meara and Tiger Woods | Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie | 5 & 3 | Europe |
| 3 | Justin Leonard and Jeff Maggert | Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood | 3 & 2 | Europe |
| 4 | Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson | Jesper Parnevik and Ignacio Garrido | halved | halved |
Session 3: four-ball, 27 September 1997 (AM)
Session: USA ½, Europe 3½ · running score USA 4, Europe 8.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Couples and Davis Love III | Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke | 1 up | Europe |
| 2 | Justin Leonard and Brad Faxon | Ian Woosnam and Thomas Bjørn | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 3 | Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara | Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 4 | Phil Mickelson and Tom Lehman | José María Olazábal and Ignacio Garrido | halved | halved |
Session 4: foursomes, 27 September 1997 (PM)
Session: USA 1½, Europe 2½ · running score USA 5½, Europe 10½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Janzen and Jim Furyk | Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer | 1 up | Europe |
| 2 | Scott Hoch and Jeff Maggert | Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 3 | Justin Leonard and Tiger Woods | Jesper Parnevik and Ignacio Garrido | halved | halved |
| 4 | Davis Love III and Fred Couples | José María Olazábal and Costantino Rocca | 5 & 4 | Europe |
Session 5: singles, 28 September 1997 (all day)
Session: USA 8, Europe 4 · running score USA 13½, Europe 14½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Couples | Ian Woosnam | 8 & 7 | USA |
| 2 | Davis Love III | Per-Ulrik Johansson | 3 & 2 | Europe |
| 3 | Mark O'Meara | Jesper Parnevik | 5 & 4 | USA |
| 4 | Phil Mickelson | Darren Clarke | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 5 | Tiger Woods | Costantino Rocca | 4 & 2 | Europe |
| 6 | Justin Leonard | Thomas Bjørn | halved | halved |
| 7 | Tom Lehman | Ignacio Garrido | 7 & 6 | USA |
| 8 | Brad Faxon | Bernhard Langer | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 9 | Jeff Maggert | Lee Westwood | 3 & 2 | USA |
| 10 | Lee Janzen | José María Olazábal | 1 up | USA |
| 11 | Jim Furyk | Nick Faldo | 3 & 2 | USA |
| 12 | Scott Hoch | Colin Montgomerie | halved | halved |
USA team, 1997
| Player | Nationality | Rookie | W-L-H | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Couples | United States | 2-2-0 | 2 | |
| Brad Faxon | United States | 1-2-0 | 1 | |
| Jim Furyk | United States | yes | 1-2-0 | 1 |
| Scott Hoch | United States | yes | 2-0-1 | 2½ |
| Davis Love III | United States | 0-4-0 | 0 | |
| Lee Janzen | United States | 2-1-0 | 2 | |
| Tom Lehman | United States | 1-1-2 | 2 | |
| Justin Leonard | United States | yes | 0-2-2 | 1 |
| Jeff Maggert | United States | 2-1-0 | 2 | |
| Phil Mickelson | United States | 1-1-2 | 2 | |
| Mark O'Meara | United States | 2-2-0 | 2 | |
| Tiger Woods | United States | yes | 1-3-1 | 1½ |
Europe team, 1997
| Player | Nationality | Rookie | W-L-H | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Bjørn | Denmark | yes | 1-0-1 | 1½ |
| Darren Clarke | Northern Ireland | yes | 1-1-0 | 1 |
| Nick Faldo | England | 2-3-0 | 2 | |
| Ignacio Garrido | Spain | yes | 0-1-3 | 1½ |
| Per-Ulrik Johansson | Sweden | 2-0-0 | 2 | |
| Bernhard Langer | Germany | 3-1-0 | 3 | |
| Colin Montgomerie | Scotland | 3-1-1 | 3½ | |
| José María Olazábal | Spain | 2-2-1 | 2½ | |
| Jesper Parnevik | Sweden | yes | 1-1-2 | 2 |
| Costantino Rocca | Italy | 3-1-0 | 3 | |
| Lee Westwood | England | yes | 2-3-0 | 2 |
| Ian Woosnam | Wales | 1-1-0 | 1 |
What happened at the 1997 Ryder Cup
Montgomerie conceded Scott Hoch's 15-foot par putt on 18 to halve the final singles, which sealed Europe's 14.5–13.5 outright win.
Miguel Ángel Martín (10th on the points list, wrist injury) refused a fitness test and was replaced by José María Olazábal (11th).
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.