The high drama and raw emotion of the Ryder Cup

The battle for the Ryder Cup between Europe and the United States is acknowledged as one of the greatest occasions in sport, a biennial source of captivating drama, fluctuating emotions and high-quality golf.

Thirty-one years ago, however, the trans-Atlantic duel was a relatively low-key affair in which the dominant Americans yawned their way to one victory after another over an outclassed and outplayed Britain & Ireland team.

There was even talk of the Ryder Cup being scrapped before the competition's rules were amended in 1979 and the US took on a 12-man team from Europe, instead of just Britain & Ireland, at The Greenbrier in West Virginia.

That year's result, a US victory by 17 points to 11, was in keeping with the tournament's tradition but the addition of Spaniards Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido provided much-needed muscle and self-belief in the new-look team.

From the early 1980s, the depth and quality of European golf improved beyond recognition and players such as Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Jose-Maria Olazabal were in the vanguard of that renaissance.

In 10 of the 11 encounters between 1983 and 2002, the Ryder Cup could hardly have been more closely fought with Europe winning five matches, the US claiming four and one match -- at The Belfry in 1989 -- tied.

In those 10 contests, only two were decided by a margin of more than two points before Europe romped to victory by a record-equalling 18-1/2 points to 9-1/2 at Oakland Hills outside Detroit in 2004.

Surprisingly, the last two editions have also been one-sided -- Europe pounding the U.S. by 18-1/2 to 9-1/2 at the K Club in Ireland in 2006 before being on the receiving end of an emphatic 16-1/2 to 11-1/2 loss in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2008.

More often than not, though, the continental showdown has transcended golf to become sporting theatre of the most dramatic kind.

ROLLER-COASTER RIDE

The tournament's unusual design, featuring three different playing formats over three days, produces a roller-coaster ride of fortune and form for the teams.

Emotions run high, momentum can shift in dramatic fashion and on many an occasion the end result has been decided by the last singles match still out on the course on the Sunday.

"It's what happens in the clutch situations -- when the momentum is maybe going the wrong way, how to switch it back or when the momentum's going your way, how to keep it going," 2010 US captain Corey Pavin told Reuters.

"It's the greatest sports event in the world, and certainly in the golf world."

The competition dates back to 1921 when Britain & Ireland triumphed 9-3 at Gleneagles in Scotland in the first of two unofficial matches against the US.

The second encounter, staged at Wentworth in England in 1926, was won even more emphatically by the home side. British professional Abe Mitchell and his US counterpart Walter Hagen then convinced Samuel Ryder, an English golf enthusiast, to put up a trophy for future matches.

Ryder, the son of a Manchester corn merchant, was happy to oblige with a solid gold trophy worth 250 pounds.

The Ryder Cup was born, with the first match taking place at Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts from June 3 to 4, 1927. The Americans, spearheaded by Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen, won by 9-1/2 points to 2-1/2.

Two years later, Britain took the honours with a 7-5 victory at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, England, where George Duncan crushed Hagen 10&8 in the last-day singles. The seeds of competition had been perfectly planted.

By Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters