What to know for golf's Ryder Cup

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The men's golf season effectively ended with the Tour Championship in late August, but this year we're treated to one of the most riveting events in the sport. The Ryder Cup, golf's biennial team competition between the United States and Europe, tees off Friday outside Rome.

Here are some things to know:

How it works

Each team has 12 players. Six of them qualified automatically via a season-long points system, and six were selected by the non-playing team captain — Zach Johnson for the United States and Luke Donald for Europe.

The competition takes place over three days and uses golf's matchplay format. The lowest score on each of the 18 holes wins that hole, and whoever wins the most holes wins their match and a point for their team. If a match ends in a tie, both sides get half a point. The first team to 14.5 points wins the Ryder Cup. If the competition ends 14-14, the reigning champion (in this case the U.S.) retains the trophy.

Friday and Saturday are devoted to two different kinds of two-on-two matches. In "four-ball," everyone plays their own ball and the best score wins the hole for his duo. In "foursomes," each tandem plays one ball, alternating shots. In Sunday's closing singles matches, all 12 players on each team square off head-to-head with an opponent for 18 holes.

Who's playing

The winners of all four of the 2023 major championships are here. That's Europe's Jon Rahm (Masters) and Americans Brooks Koepka (PGA Championship), Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open) and Brian Harman (British Open). Scottie Scheffler, who won the "fifth major" (the lucrative Players