| 39th Ryder Cup Matches | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dates | September 25-30, 2012 | |
| Venue | Medinah Country Club | |
| Location | Medinah, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Captains | Davis Love III (USA) José María Olazábal (Europe) |
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| «2010 | ||
The 39th Ryder Cup Matches will be held September 25-30, 2012 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.[1] It will be the first time Illinois has staged the competition. Europe will be the defending Cup holder, having defeated the USA by 14½ points to 13½ in the 2010 competition at Celtic Manor Resort, Wales.[2] The team captains will be Davis Love III for the USA[3] and José María Olazábal for Europe.[4]
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The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format is generally as follows:
With a total of 28 points available, 14½ points are required to win the Cup, and 14 points are required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches are played to a maximum of 18 holes.
As part of its 2012 preparations, Medinah commissioned a $1.5 million greens renovation project on Course No. 3, led by golf course architect Rees Jones. The project included a dramatic redesign of the 15th hole.
The 15th now offers players with a great 'risk-reward' opportunity with a driveable par-four by reducing its length by 100 yards and adding a two-acre lake that borders the right side of the fairway and green. The new forward tee allows the hole to be set up as short as 280 yards. The original tee area of 392 yards from the championship tees will be preserved to provide the club with flexibility in course set-up.
Jones, who has overseen all architectural design aspects of Medinah's three golf courses since 2000, moved the 15th green to the left (south), which made way for the creation of a new back tee for the 16th hole. The tree-lined par-four now measures 15 yards longer - playing approximately 470 yards from the championship tees.
The major greens renovation took place on eleven of Course No. 3's original 18 greens and its main putting green, which was rebuilt to USGA specifications. Course No. 3's other six greens were re-grassed and the 15th green rebuilt.[1]
The European team qualification rules have changed since 2010. The European Points List now takes precedence over the World Points List, while the captain's picks have been reduced from 3 to 2 with the top 5 players in the World Points List now qualifying rather than the top 4. The team will consist of:[5][6]
The United States qualification rules remain the same as for 2010 and the team will consist of:[7]
The points are the prize money won (in U.S. dollars) in the 2011 majors divided by 1000.
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