A look at the history of golf's most prestigous team competition, compiled by John O'Sullivan

1979 - The Greenbrier, West Virginia
USA 17 Europe 11

Mark James and Ken Brown were fined for their behaviour, the latter also being suspended from team golf for 12 months. Their original transgression was to take a shopping trip instead of attending a team meeting. For good measure, James also refused to wear the official Ryder Cup uniform. He also managed to injure himself prior to the singles and had to withdraw. American captain Billy Casper had put Lee Trevino's name in the envelope not expecting to have to use it, but John Jacobs gave his permission for a switch and so instead Gil Morgan stepped down.

Foursomes: USA 3½ Europe 4½ Fourballs: USA 5 Europe 3 Singles: USA 8½ Europe 3½ Irish Player: Des Smyth.

1981 - Walton Heath, Surrey
Europe 9½ USA 18½

Seve Ballesteros had won the US Masters the previous year but had not played in enough qualifying tournaments to make the Ryder Cup team by right. He could still have been one of the two wild cards open to captain John Jacobs but instead these went to James and Peter Oostherhuis. Tony Jacklin was also overlooked, told that he was too old. The European team, again including Des Smyth, was annihilated, leaving the Americans to suspect that the inclusion of the European players might not necessarily turn this event into a contest in the short term.

Foursomes: Europe 2 USA 6 Fourballs: Europe 3½ USA 4½ Singles: Europe 4 USA 8 Irish Players: Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy.

1983 - PGA National, Florida
USA 14½ Europe 13½

Tony Jacklin took over the captaincy and persuaded the European Tour his team should fly first class and that matters should be conducted much more professionally. The second thing he did was to persuade Seve Ballesteros to come back and play for Europe again. The contest was thrilling, with the outcome coming down to the final singles match between American legend Tom Watson and a future European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallagher. Watson, three up after seven, eventually won 2 and 1. Europe's improvement offered a glimmer they could be competitive.

Foursomes: USA 4 Europe 4 Fourballs: USA 4 Europe 4 Singles: USA 6 ½ Europe 5 ½ No Irish.

1985 - The Belfry, Warwickshire
Europe 16½ USA 11½

The first time Europe prevailed, and did so in spectacular fashion. None epitomised the emotion of the occasion more than Sam Torrance. All square playing the last against Andy North on the final day, Torrance hit a huge drive, but the American found the lake. A nine-iron to the green meant the Scot had three putts for the title. By the time the ball was halfway to the hole Torrance had his arm raised and the waterworks were turned on soon after. Seve Ballesteros came back from three down with five to play against Tom Kite to grab a half. It was that sort of afternoon.

Foursomes: Europe 3½ USA 4½ Fourballs: Europe 5½ USA 2½ Singles: Europe 7½ USA 4½ No Irish.

1987 - Muirfield Village, Ohio
USA 13 Europe 15

Delgany's Eamonn Darcy delivered the coup de grace. He holed a ridiculously slick, downhill four-foot putt on the home green to edge out Ben Crenshaw. Their match was not without incident as the American, affectionately known as Gentle Ben, showed a rare outburst of anger early in the round by snapping his putter. He had to putt with a one-iron and on occasion his sandwedge. Jose Maria Olazabal's victory dance on a green did not go down well with the hosts.

Foursomes: USA 3½ Europe 4½ Fourballs: USA 2 Europe 6 Singles: USA 6 Europe 6 Irish Player: Eamonn Darcy.

1989 - The Belfry
Europe 14 USA 14

Long celebrated for one shot, Christy O'Connor Jnr's two-iron to the 18th green that came to rest two-and-a-half feet from the hole. His opponent, Fred Couples, crumbled, and eventually conceded the hole and the match without his opponent being asked to putt. Christy's reaction was captured beautifully in one particular picture, arms raised to heaven, eyes clamped shut. It was tears of joy as O'Connor Jnr's win allowed Europe to retain the trophy by virtue of a tie. Tony Jacklin's last captaincy.

Foursomes: Europe 3 USA 5 Fourballs: Europe 6 USA 2 Singles: Europe 5 USA 7 Irish Players: Christy O'Connor Jnr, Ronan Rafferty.

1991 - Kiawah Island, South Carolina
USA 14½ Europe 13½

The "War on the Shore", when the American team took their patriotic fervour to new levels. Paul Azinger was one of the most jingoistic, but also found time to continue his long-running feud with Seve Ballesteros. That occurred in the Friday morning foursomes, the basis a ball dispute. David Feherty played some of the best golf in defeating Payne Stewart on the 17th green, but the overall match was distilled to a single putt. Bernhard Langer missed from six feet on the home green against Hale Irwin. Had the putt fallen Europe would have tied the match at 14-14 and retained the trophy. It was Bernard Gallagher's first year of three as captain.

Foursomes: USA 6 Europe 2 Fourballs: USA 2 Europe 6 Singles: USA 6 ½ Europe 5 ½ Irish Player: David Feherty.

1993 - The Belfry
Europe 13 USA 15

"The most frightening moment was on the first tee," English rookie Peter Baker recalled. "I stood there on a course I had played a thousand times and all I could see was the big tree on the right. I had never noticed it before."

Once again the USA made their big push for victory in the singles.

Foursomes: Europe 5 USA 3 Fourballs: Europe 3½ USA 4½ Singles: Europe 4½ USA 7½ No Irish.

1995 - Oak Hill, New York
USA 13½ Europe 14½

Jay Haas will be hoping for a happier time in this year's event than his last appearance in New York when he completely choked (his words) his way up the 18th hole in the singles against Ireland's Philip Walton. What most people don't remember is that Walton was three up with three to play but lost 16 and 17. Haas, who was playing in his second Ryder Cup, decided to play the final hole conservatively and basically fell apart. Walton was eventually faced with a putt to guarantee a European success that seemed unlikely when they trailed 9-7 going into the singles.

Foursomes: USA 3 Europe 5 Fourballs: USA 6 Europe 2 Singles: USA 4½ Europe 7½ Irish Player: Philip Walton.

1997 - Valderrama, Spain
Europe 14½ USA 13½

Seve Ballesteros was in full cry, though the swashbuckler had swapped his role as a leader in the heat of the battle on the course to non-playing captain when the event moved to his native Spain.

Europe had a five-point lead going into the final day singles but almost came a cropper. The highlight for the home side would have been Costantino Rocca putting Tiger Woods, making his debut, to the sword by 4 and 2. The hype beforehand suggested Woods was a banker for five points but he managed just one.

Foursomes: Europe 5½ USA 2½ Fourballs: Europe 5 USA 3 Singles: Europe 4 USA 8 Irish player: Darren Clarke.

1999 - The Country Club, Massachusetts
USA 14½ Europe 13½

This match will always be remembered for the excesses of the American galleries who were boorish in their support of their team during the singles and the extraordinary actions of the USA when Justin Leonard holed a 50-foot bomb on the 17th green to win the hole and guarantee his side would win the trophy. As the Americans leapt, ran and cavorted across the green to celebrate Leonard's putt, Jose Maria Olazabal waited patiently to try to hole his 20-foot putt. The Spaniard missed - he won the last to halve the match - but the spoils of war went to the Americans.

Foursomes: USA 3½ Europe 4½ Fourballs: USA 3½ Europe 4½ Singles: USA 7½ Europe 4½ Irish players: Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington.

2002 - The Belfry
Europe 15½ USA 12½

After the first two days the teams were tied at 8-8 so this match came down to the singles format. Sam Torrance elected to put most of his strong players at the top of the order, while American captain Curtis Strange kept his heavy hitters in the lower echelons of the 12 singles matches. Colin Montgomerie gave the home side an ideal opening by crushing Scott Hoch, the Scot having been an inspirational figure throughout the contest. Darren Clarke halved with David Duval, Padraig Harrington hammered Mark Calcavecchia, while Paul McGinley holed the most important 10-foot putt of his career to copper-fasten overall glory.

Foursomes: Europe 5 USA 3. Fourballs: Europe 3 USA 5 Singles: Europe 7½ USA 5½ Irish players: Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke.