The infamous warning sign at the first tee of Bethpage Black looms large, a stark black-and-white reminder of the challenge ahead: “The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.” On this crisp, electric Friday at the 45th Ryder Cup, that sign feels less like a warning and more like a prophecy. After a stunning morning Foursomes session that saw a sea of European blue silence the boisterous New York crowd, the pressure has reached a boiling point. Team Europe, led by the unflappable Captain Luke Donald, stormed to a formidable 3-1 lead, leaving U.S. Captain Tiger Woods with the monumental task of stopping the bleeding in the crucial Friday afternoon Four-ball matches.

As the echoes of the morning’s cheers and groans faded, all eyes turned to the captains. The announcement of the ryder cup afternoon pairings became the day’s most anticipated drama, a strategic chess match played out on paper before a single ball was struck. Woods, tasked with igniting a fire under his squad, has opted for a mix of proven partnerships and bold new duos designed to generate a flurry of birdies. Donald, captaining with the quiet confidence of a man holding a strong hand, has countered with pairings that emphasize chemistry and form, sticking to the strategy that brought Europe a resounding victory in Rome two years ago. The stage is set for a pivotal session that could either see the USA claw its way back into contention or watch Europe build a potentially insurmountable lead on foreign soil.

The afternoon Four-ball format is designed for precisely this kind of drama. It unleashes the players from the restrictive nature of Foursomes (alternate shot) and encourages an aggressive, go-for-broke style of golf. With four balls in play on every hole, the opportunities for heroic shots, momentum-swinging putts, and wild shifts in fortune are endless. This is where Ryder Cup legends are made and where the emotional core of the event truly comes alive. Before the matches get underway, understanding the nuances of this explosive format is key to appreciating the strategic battle unfolding on the brutal fairways of Bethpage Black.

Decoding the Format: How the Four-Ball Session Works

For casual golf fans and even some seasoned observers, the switch between Ryder Cup formats can be confusing. The morning’s Foursomes demand precision and teamwork of the highest order, with partners hitting alternate shots. The afternoon, however, is a completely different beast. The session is built around the Four-ball format, a fan-favorite known for producing low scores and high drama. The extensive list of frequently asked questions—from “what is four ball in ryder cup” to “how does 4 ball work in ryder cup”—highlights its central importance to the viewing experience.

What is Four-Ball? A Simple Explanation

At its core, the ryder cup four ball format is straightforward. It is a match-play competition between two teams of two players. Unlike Foursomes, all four players in the group play their own golf ball from the tee to the hole. There is no alternate shot. Each player completes the hole as they normally would in a stroke-play tournament. The name “Four-ball” simply refers to the fact that there are four balls in play on every hole.

How a Winner is Determined

After all four players have completed a hole, their scores are compared. The team whose player recorded the lowest individual score on that hole wins the hole. For example, if European Player A makes a birdie (3) and his partner Player B makes a par (4), while both U.S. Player C and Player D make pars (4), the European team wins the hole because Player A’s 3 was the lowest score. The winning team goes “1 up.” If the lowest score from both teams is the same (for instance, both teams have a player who made a birdie), the hole is “halved,” or tied, and the overall match score remains unchanged. This continues for all 18 holes. The team that is “up” by more holes than there are left to play wins the match and secures one crucial point for their team’s overall score.

The Strategic Beauty of the Four-Ball Format

The genius of Four-ball lies in the freedom and strategy it affords. With each player playing their own ball, a partnership can employ a “best ball” mentality. One player can hit a safe, conservative shot into the middle of the fairway and the green, ensuring the team has at least a par locked in. This frees up their partner to play aggressively—to take a risky line off the tee, fire directly at a tucked pin, or charge a long-distance putt. This dynamic is what makes the four ball ryder cup session so exciting. It effectively gives a team two chances at a birdie on every hole.

This format also places a premium on putting and mental resilience. A player who is having an off day can be “carried” by their partner without completely sinking the team, unlike in Foursomes where a single poor shot affects the next. Conversely, a single player who gets hot with the putter can single-handedly win a match for their side. It’s a format that rewards courage and punishes tentative play, making it the perfect crucible for the intense pressure of the Ryder Cup.

Afternoon Showdown Set: Captains Reveal Crucial Pairings and Tee Times

With Europe leading 3-1, the ryder cup friday afternoon pairings were unveiled to massive speculation. Captain Tiger Woods, needing to generate an immediate response, has loaded his lineup with firepower. Luke Donald has countered with proven European stalwarts. The afternoon matchups promise fireworks from the very first tee shot.

Here are the afternoon ryder cup pairings and their scheduled tee times:

1. 12:25 PM EST: Scottie Scheffler & Jordan Spieth (USA) vs. Rory McIlroy & Viktor Hovland (EUR)
2. 12:40 PM EST: Justin Thomas & Collin Morikawa (USA) vs. Jon Rahm & Shane Lowry (EUR)
3. 12:55 PM EST: Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Tommy Fleetwood & Ludvig Åberg (EUR)
4. 1:10 PM EST: Max Homa & Wyndham Clark (USA) vs. Matt Fitzpatrick & Sepp Straka (EUR)

The lead match is a heavyweight clash of titans. Woods is sending out World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler alongside the fiery Ryder Cup veteran Jordan Spieth, hoping Spieth’s match-play magic can ignite Scheffler’s stellar ball-striking. They face the formidable European duo of Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, a pairing that dominated in Rome and brings both incredible power and infectious energy. This match is a clear statement of intent from both captains, putting their best players head-to-head in a battle for momentum.

The other matches are just as compelling. The rock-solid “Cant-ffele” pairing of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will look to reprise their past success against the English-Swedish combination of Tommy Fleetwood and rising star Ludvig Åberg. This is a classic test of American consistency versus European flair. Every point is vital, and the pressure on every player will be immense as the afternoon unfolds.

The Road to Victory: Understanding Ryder Cup Scoring

With the matches underway, the constant question becomes: how many points to win ryder cup? The answer is simple in number but complex in its pursuit. The Ryder Cup is contested over three days, with a total of 28 points on the line. Each match—whether it’s Foursomes, Four-ball, or Sunday Singles—is worth one point. A tied match results in each team receiving a half-point.

The magic number to win the Ryder Cup is 14.5. The first team to reach 14.5 points wins the coveted trophy. However, there is a crucial caveat that heavily favors the defending champions. Because Team Europe won the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, they only need to secure 14 points to retain the Cup. In the event of a 14-14 tie, the defending champion keeps the trophy. This means the U.S. team, as the challenger, absolutely must get to 14.5 points to reclaim it. This subtle but critical rule adds another layer of pressure on the home side, as a tie is as good as a loss.

To fully grasp the flow of the event and the importance of each session, it’s helpful to see how the points are distributed throughout the weekend. The structure ensures that momentum can build and swing dramatically from one day to the next, culminating in the ultimate test of individual nerve on Sunday.

• Friday Morning (Foursomes): A total of 4 points are available. Four matches are played using the alternate-shot format, where partners take turns hitting the same ball. This session tests precision, teamwork, and strategy.
• Friday Afternoon (Four-ball): Another 4 points are up for grabs. This is the session detailed here, where all four players play their own ball and the team’s lowest score wins the hole. This format encourages aggressive, birdie-filled golf.
• Saturday Morning (Foursomes): The schedule repeats, with another 4 points available in the alternate-shot format. Captains often adjust their pairings based on Friday’s results, trying to find the hottest hands and most effective partnerships.
• Saturday Afternoon (Four-ball): The final team session offers another 4 points in the Four-ball format. By the end of Saturday, a total of 16 points will have been decided, setting the stage for the final day.
• Sunday (Singles): This is the dramatic conclusion, with a massive 12 points on the line. All 12 players from each team compete in one-on-one head-to-head matches. There is nowhere to hide, making it a pure test of individual skill and pressure handling.

The Captain’s Gambit: Inside the Minds of Luke Donald and Tiger Woods

This Ryder Cup is as much a battle of wits between the captains as it is a battle of skill between the players. For Europe’s Luke Donald, this is a chance to cement his legacy. His captaincy in Rome was a masterclass in preparation, analytics, and emotional intelligence. He created a relaxed yet focused team environment that allowed his players to thrive. His calm demeanor belies a fiercely competitive nature, and his Friday pairings show he is sticking to a well-researched plan, trusting the partnerships that have worked before.

For U.S. Captain Tiger Woods, the situation is vastly different. The pressure is immense. Captaining on home soil, especially at a venue as demanding as Bethpage and in a city as passionate as New York, is a monumental task. After watching his team get roundly defeated in the morning, Woods’s leadership is being tested immediately. His decision to send out pairings like Thomas and Morikawa—two elite ball-strikers who haven’t partnered frequently—is a calculated risk. He is searching for a spark, a combination that can catch fire and electrify the home crowd. Every decision he makes from this point forward will be intensely scrutinized as he tries to steer the American ship back on course.

The Bethpage Black Cauldron: A Course Built for Match-Play Mayhem

The choice of Bethpage Black as the Ryder Cup venue was a deliberate one. It is a long, unforgiving, and iconic public course that provides a brutal test of golf. Its narrow fairways, thick rough, and elevated, well-bunkered greens demand elite driving and precision iron play. In the context of Four-ball, the course’s difficulty adds another strategic layer. A single errant tee shot can easily lead to a double bogey, putting immense pressure on a player’s partner to deliver a solid hole.

But more than the course itself, it’s the atmosphere that defines a Ryder Cup at Bethpage. The New York fans are famously loud, knowledgeable, and fiercely partisan. They create a “13th man” effect for the U.S. team, a wave of sound and energy that can lift the home players and intimidate their opponents. For European players, handling this cauldron of noise is a critical part of the challenge. A silenced Bethpage crowd, as was the case for much of Friday morning, is a sure sign that Europe is in control. Conversely, a single roar echoing through the trees after a monster putt from a U.S. player can signal a turn of the tide. The course and the crowd combine to create an unparalleled theater of sporting drama.

This is precisely the environment where the Four-ball format thrives. The potential for dramatic shots—a holed bunker shot, a 50-foot birdie putt—feeds the crowd’s energy. A great shot from a home player is met with a deafening roar, while a clutch putt from a European player is met with a stunning silence that is, in its own way, just as loud. This interplay between the players, the format, and the fans is what makes the Ryder Cup one of the most compelling events in all of sports.

Looking Ahead: The Stakes for Saturday and Sunday

While it is only Friday, the results of these afternoon matches will have a massive impact on the remainder of the competition. If the United States can win the session and narrow the gap to 4-4 or even take a 5-3 lead, the entire complexion of the Ryder Cup changes. The momentum would shift, the crowd would be re-energized, and Captain Woods’s risky pairings would be hailed as a stroke of genius. It would set up a thrilling, nail-biting weekend where every shot carries enormous weight.

However, if Luke Donald’s European squad can win or even halve the afternoon session, maintaining their lead heading into Saturday, the task for the Americans becomes Herculean. A two, three, or even four-point deficit is difficult to overcome, especially against a European team that has historically excelled in the team formats. The pressure would mount on the U.S. players, and the path to reaching that magic number of 14.5 points would look increasingly narrow. The storylines for the entire weekend are being written right now, on these very fairways, under the intense pressure of the Friday afternoon Four-ball matches.

Every putt that drops and every fist pump that is thrown carries with it the weight of history and national pride. The foundation for victory or the seeds of defeat are being sown in this pivotal session. For the players, it’s a chance to etch their names into Ryder Cup lore. For the captains, it’s the ultimate test of their leadership and strategy. And for the fans at Bethpage Black and the millions watching around the world, it’s a captivating display of skill, passion, and pressure that represents the very best of what golf has to offer.

Conclusion

The Friday afternoon Four-ball session stands as one of the most exciting and consequential periods in any Ryder Cup. It is where the initial strategic battles of the morning give way to a more aggressive, free-flowing, and emotionally charged brand of golf. The format, designed to produce a flurry of birdies and dramatic momentum swings, perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the event. As the sun begins to set over the formidable landscape of Bethpage Black, the fate of the 45th Ryder Cup hangs precariously in the balance. The roar of the New York crowd, the steely focus of the players, and the calculated gambles of the captains are all converging in a theater of unparalleled sporting drama. The points won and lost this afternoon will not only shape the leaderboard but will set the emotional tone for the grueling weekend ahead, inching one team closer to the ultimate prize in team golf.