Golf: Ryder Cup - Ryder fact file

Teams: 12 players each from Europe and America.

Holders: Europe, after their 141/2-131/2 victory at Oak Hill in 1995.

Format: Four morning fourballs and four afternoon foursomes yesterday and today; 12 singles tomorrow.

Points: 28 available (one per match, 1/2 point each for tied matches). Europe need 14 points to retain the Cup, USA need 141/2 to regain the Cup.

Matchplay: No cumulative scores as in medalplay; holes won, lost or halved. Match status described as one-up or two-down; match results recorded as 3&2 (three holes up but only two holes to play), or one-hole, etc.

Foursomes: Each partner takes alternate shots until the hole is completed. One tees off at the odd holes, the other on the evens.

Fourballs: Both players play their own ball, the lower score counting as the team score.

Singles: Head-to-head; One against one.

Dormie: One team is `dormie', meaning that they cannot be beaten, if they lead by the number of holes left to play. No matches go to play-offs.

The envelope: Tonight, the captains will nominate a player, possibly one who is injured, to go in the "envelope". Should one of those players be unfit to play, they are removed from the draw and their match is deemed a half.