The 9th Ryder Cup Matches were held November 2–4, 1951 at Course No. 2 of the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The United States team won their fifth consecutive competition by a score of 91⁄2 to 21⁄2 points.[1][2]
The two-day competition was held on Friday and Sunday; Saturday was an off day so that the participants (and spectators) could attend a college football game in Chapel Hill, about 70 miles (110 km) northeast. North Carolina hosted top-ranked Tennessee and the visiting Volunteers won in a rout, 27-0.
Course No. 2, designed by Donald Ross, was set at 7,007 yards (6,407 m) for this Ryder Cup.[2] It later hosted the U.S. Open in 1999, 2005, and 2014.
Format
The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. From 1927 through 1959, the format consisted of 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches on the first day and 8 singles matches on the second day, for a total of 12 points. Therefore, 6½ points were required to win the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 36 holes.
This was the second and final Ryder Cup for Ben Hogan as a competitor, following 1947. Although he won three majors in 1953, he declined to participate on that year's team.[4][5] Hogan was a non-playing captain in 1949 and 1967.
In April 1951 the British P.G.A. appointed Arthur Lacey as non-playing captain and chose a selection committee of four which included Lacey and Bill Cox.[6] In late-July eight players were selected: Bousfield, Daly, Faulkner, Hargreaves, Lees, Panton, Rees and Ward. The remaining two places were to be selected after the News of the World Match Play.[7] The final two places were later given to Weetman and Adams, the finalists in the News of the World Match Play. [8]
