Four-Ball vs Foursomes: Ryder Cup Formats Explained

The difference is simple once you have it: in four-ball, each of the two partners plays their own ball all the way to the hole and the team counts the better score. In foursomes, the two partners share one ball and take turns hitting it — alternate shot. Four-ball is two balls per side; foursomes is one. Everything else follows from that.

Both are the backbone of the Ryder Cup, and both are defined in the Rules of Golf — four-ball under Rule 23, foursomes under Rule 22. Here is the clean side-by-side, plus why each format plays so differently.

Four-ball vs foursomes at a glance

How four-ball works

Four-ball is the more forgiving format, which is why it often opens Ryder Cup days. Each player plays their own ball from tee to green, and the team simply takes whichever partner scored lower on the hole. If one partner makes a mess of a hole, the other’s score can rescue it.

That safety net changes the strategy. Players attack pins and take on risky shots, knowing a partner is playing steady as backup. Two chances at every hole make birdies common and matches lively. Casual golfers know the same format as “best ball,” and it is the friendliest team game for mixed-ability pairs — a higher-handicap partner can still win a hole outright with one good number.

How foursomes works

Foursomes is where nerves show. Each two-player team plays a single ball, alternating shots: if you hit the drive, your partner hits the second shot, you hit the third, and so on until the ball is holed. Crucially, partners also alternate tee shots by hole — one player tees off on all odd-numbered holes, the other on all even — no matter who made the last putt.

That structure is unforgiving. A missed green leaves your partner a hard shot; a poor drive hands them an awkward lie. There is no personal rescue, only shared consequence. It rewards partnerships that manage the course together and keep the ball in play, and it routinely produces the tensest golf of a Ryder Cup. The format’s demand on teamwork is exactly why captains agonize over their foursomes pairings.

Why “foursomes” means alternate shot

The naming trips people up. Casually, a “foursome” is any group of four golfers. But in formal competition, foursomes specifically means two teams of two sharing one ball each — four players on the green, two balls in the match, one ball per side. The term is centuries old and predates the loose modern usage. So when a broadcaster says a Ryder Cup session is “foursomes,” they mean alternate shot, not simply four people playing.

What about Scotch foursomes and greensomes?

A common variation you will meet at club events is greensomes, sometimes called Scotch foursomes. Here both partners tee off, the team picks the better drive, and from there they play alternate shot to the hole. It softens traditional foursomes by removing the risk of being stuck with one bad tee shot, while keeping the shared-ball tension for the rest of the hole. It is popular for member-guest days because it is friendlier than strict alternate shot without becoming a full four-ball.

Where the formats fit in the Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup runs 28 points across three days: four foursomes and four four-ball matches on each of the first two days, then 12 singles on Sunday. The team sessions decide momentum, and captains use them to shelter weaker pairings or unleash their strongest partnerships. Understanding which is which is half of following the drama.

If the team-match energy of the Ryder Cup is what pulls you in, our rundown of the greatest golfers of all time is a natural next stop — many of the names on it built their legends as much in these two-versus-two formats as in the majors they won alone.

For dates beyond the Ryder Cup, browse the upcoming sports calendar. Our match play and stroke play comparison explains how matches are scored, while the Ryder Cup ticket guide covers that edition’s ticket information.