2008 Ryder Cup: USA wins at Valhalla Golf Club
USA won the 2008 Ryder Cup 16½–11½ over Europe at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 2008 in the Ryder Cup room, or every year on the Ryder Cup results list.
- Dates
- September 19, 2008 to September 21, 2008
- Course
- Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
- Edition
- 37th Ryder Cup
- Teams
- USA v Europe
- Result
- USA 16½, Europe 11½ · USA won by 5 points
- Points to win
- 14½ (holder retains with 14)
- USA captain
- Paul Azinger
- Europe captain
- Nick Faldo
- Holder after
- USA
- Winning point
- Jim Furyk (USA) · Furyk d. Miguel Ángel Jiménez 2 & 1
Session 1: foursomes, September 19, 2008 (AM)
Session: USA 3, Europe 1 · running score USA 3, Europe 1.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim | Pádraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson | halved | halved |
| 2 | Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan | Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey | 3 & 2 | USA |
| 3 | Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell | Justin Rose and Ian Poulter | 1 up | USA |
| 4 | Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk | Lee Westwood and Sergio García | halved | halved |
Session 2: four-ball, September 19, 2008 (PM)
Session: USA 2½, Europe 1½ · running score USA 5½, Europe 2½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim | Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell | 2 up | USA |
| 2 | Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis | Ian Poulter and Justin Rose | 4 & 2 | Europe |
| 3 | Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan | Sergio García and Miguel Ángel Jiménez | 4 & 3 | USA |
| 4 | J. B. Holmes and Boo Weekley | Lee Westwood and Søren Hansen | halved | halved |
Session 3: foursomes, September 20, 2008 (AM)
Session: USA 1½, Europe 2½ · running score USA 7, Europe 5.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell | Ian Poulter and Justin Rose | 4 & 3 | Europe |
| 2 | Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan | Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Graeme McDowell | halved | halved |
| 3 | Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim | Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 4 | Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry | Pádraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson | 3 & 1 | USA |
Session 4: four-ball, September 20, 2008 (PM)
Session: USA 2, Europe 2 · running score USA 9, Europe 7.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boo Weekley and J. B. Holmes | Lee Westwood and Søren Hansen | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 2 | Ben Curtis and Steve Stricker | Sergio García and Paul Casey | halved | halved |
| 3 | Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk | Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell | 1 up | Europe |
| 4 | Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan | Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson | halved | halved |
Session 5: singles, September 21, 2008 (all day)
Session: USA 7½, Europe 4½ · running score USA 16½, Europe 11½.
| Match | USA | Europe | Result | Point to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Kim | Sergio García | 5 & 4 | USA |
| 2 | Hunter Mahan | Paul Casey | halved | halved |
| 3 | Justin Leonard | Robert Karlsson | 5 & 3 | Europe |
| 4 | Phil Mickelson | Justin Rose | 3 & 2 | Europe |
| 5 | Kenny Perry | Henrik Stenson | 3 & 2 | USA |
| 6 | Boo Weekley | Oliver Wilson | 4 & 2 | USA |
| 7 | J. B. Holmes | Søren Hansen | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 8 | Jim Furyk | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 9 | Stewart Cink | Graeme McDowell | 2 & 1 | Europe |
| 10 | Steve Stricker | Ian Poulter | 3 & 2 | Europe |
| 11 | Ben Curtis | Lee Westwood | 2 & 1 | USA |
| 12 | Chad Campbell | Pádraig Harrington | 2 & 1 | USA |
USA team, 2008
| Player | Nationality | Rookie | W-L-H | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Campbell | United States | 2-1-0 | 2 | |
| Stewart Cink | United States | 1-2-0 | 1 | |
| Ben Curtis | United States | yes | 1-1-1 | 1½ |
| Jim Furyk | United States | 2-1-1 | 2½ | |
| J. B. Holmes | United States | yes | 2-0-1 | 2½ |
| Anthony Kim | United States | yes | 2-1-1 | 2½ |
| Justin Leonard | United States | 2-1-1 | 2½ | |
| Hunter Mahan | United States | yes | 2-0-3 | 3½ |
| Phil Mickelson | United States | 1-2-2 | 2 | |
| Kenny Perry | United States | 2-1-1 | 2½ | |
| Steve Stricker | United States | yes | 0-2-1 | ½ |
| Boo Weekley | United States | yes | 2-0-1 | 2½ |
Europe team, 2008
| Player | Nationality | Rookie | W-L-H | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Casey | England | 0-1-2 | 1 | |
| Sergio García | Spain | 0-2-2 | 1 | |
| Søren Hansen | Denmark | yes | 0-2-1 | ½ |
| Pádraig Harrington | Ireland | 0-3-1 | ½ | |
| Miguel Ángel Jiménez | Spain | 0-2-1 | ½ | |
| Robert Karlsson | Sweden | 1-1-2 | 2 | |
| Graeme McDowell | Northern Ireland | yes | 2-1-1 | 2½ |
| Ian Poulter | England | 4-1-0 | 4 | |
| Justin Rose | England | yes | 3-1-0 | 3 |
| Henrik Stenson | Sweden | 1-2-1 | 1½ | |
| Lee Westwood | England | 0-2-2 | 1 | |
| Oliver Wilson | England | yes | 1-1-0 | 1 |
What happened at the 2008 Ryder Cup
Azinger opened with foursomes, and the USA led after every session. Its 5-point margin was its largest win since 1981.
Anthony Kim beat Sergio García 5 & 4 in the top singles match, an early Sunday push. Faldo was criticised for "bottom-loading" his best players in the singles.
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.