Ryder Cup guide: how to watch it and how it works

HOW TO FOLLOW IT... ONLINE

Join us on www.irishtimes.com/sport for our series of Ryder Cup live blogs from 1pm on Friday and Saturday and 4pm on Sunday, available via desktop, mobile, tablet and app with up-to-the minute scores and commentary. We have course guide, pen pics, galleries and much more on our dedicated Ryder Cup micro-site as well as extensive coverage from Philip Reid at Hazeltine.

HOW TO FOLLOW IT... ON TV

Friday: Live - Sky Sports 4, 12.30pm to 1am. Highlights - BBC 2, 12.30am to 2am.

Saturday: Live - Sky Sports 4, 12.30pm to 1am. Highlights - BBC 2, 12.30am to 2am.

Sunday: Live - Sky Sports 4, 4pm to 12am. Highlights - BBC 2, 11pm to 1am.

HOW DOES THE COMPETITION WORK?

Both teams of 12 will take part in 28 separate matches over the three days of the Ryder Cup. Each match is worth a single point, with the winning team needing to earn 14.5 points to claim the trophy. In the event of a draw (14-14), the defending champions retain the Ryder Cup.

Play takes place over three days and includes fourballs, foursomes and singles. On Friday, play starts with four foursomes matches in the morning and another four fourball matches in the afternoon. The format is identical on Saturday, while on Sunday there are 12 singles matches, ensuring that all players will feature in at least one match over the three days.

All 28 matches are contested under a matchplay format, whereby players compete against each other and not the course.

FOURBALLS

A fourball is a match in which each member of the two-man teams plays their own ball. Four balls are in play per hole with each of the four players competing. The team whose player has the lowest score on that hole wins the hole. Should players from each team tie for the best score, the hole is halved.

FOURSOMES

Again, there are two-man teams with the golfers playing alternate shots (player A hits tee shot, player B hits second shot, etc) until the hole is played out. Team members must alternate playing tee shots, with one golfer hitting the tee shot on odd-numbered holes, and the other hitting the tee shot on the even-numbered holes. The team with the better score wins the hole. Should the two teams tie for best score, the hole is halved.

SINGLES

All 12 players from each team pair up against each other in Sunday’s closing singles. Again, it is played in matchplay with the lowest score on each hole winning the hole.

PLAYING SCHEDULE

Friday and Saturday (all times Irish)

Foursomes: 1.35pm, 1.50pm, 2.05pm, 2.20pm.

Fourballs: 6.30pm, 6.45pm, 7.0pm, 7.15pm.

Sunday

Singles: 5.04pm - 7.05pm (11 minute intervals). Finish at approximately 10.55pm.

WEATHER

Conditions look set to be perfect for all three days of play with clear skies and temperatures of 16C-18C expected. Wind is due to be virtually non-existent and conditions will be very favourable for lots of birdies.

DID YOU KNOW?

What do you do if one of the golfers is injured during the Ryder Cup and cannot compete in the singles? Well in one of the more wild Ryder Cup traditions, the opposing Ryder Cup captain can select one player from his team that he would like to not compete. The nominated player is then matched up against the injured player and the match recorded as a half. The catch however is that the captains must place the name of their nominated player in an envelope prior to the start of the matches. This situation has occured three times since 1979, including most recently in 1993 at The Belfry.

There have been only three partnerships in Ryder Cup history who have never lost or tied a match together. The best of these was Arnold Palmer and Gardner Dickinson, who went 5-0-0 together between the 1967 and 1971 Ryder Cups (neither were on the 1969 roster). Dickinson also holds the individual record for most consective matches won with nine. American partnerships also make up the other two with Palmer and Billy Casper winning three matches out of three and Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson winning all four of the matches they played together.