Ryder Cup 2016: Rules, Format and Points System Primer for Golf Tournament

Europe will look to extend its run of dominance over the United States in the 2016 Ryder Cup starting Friday. The European team has captured the coveted international trophy six times in the past seven competitions, including three straight wins dating back to 2010.

The Americans have a golden opportunity to bring an end to the drought this weekend, though. Along with getting to compete on home soil, Team USA looks like the more well-rounded squad on paper, which is why they enter the event as -185 moneyline favorites (bet $185 to win $100), per Stephen Campbell of Odds Shark.

Let's check out all of the important information heading into the latest edition of the biennial showcase. That's followed by a look at the format and a tournament preview.

2016 Ryder Cup Details

Where: Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota

When: Friday, Sept. 30 — Sunday, Oct. 2

Watch: NBC and Golf Channel (Full Schedule)

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Rules and Format

Day	Matches	Points Available
Friday	4 Foursome and 4 Fourball	8
Saturday	4 Foursome and 4 Fourball	8
Sunday	12 Singles	12

American captain Davis Love III gets the opportunity to determine the order of competition for the first two days, choosing between foursomes and fourball for the morning and afternoon. Two years ago, the U.S. won both fourball sessions and lost both foursome sessions.

There are a total of 28 points up for grabs over the three days of golf. There are no playoff holes. If any matchup is tied after 18, the match is halved. The United States must win 14.5 or more points to claim the Ryder Cup, while Europe needs 14 or more to defend.

Event Preview

Although Team Europe is on a winning streak, it hasn't been as lopsided since Team USA's last victory in 2008. Two of Europe's three victories since then have come by 14.5 to 13.5 scores, though two years ago in Scotland it won 16.5 to 11.5.

That's nothing compared to 2004 and 2006, though. Europe won those two events by the score of 18.5 to 9.5, which changed the tone of the rivalry for a while. Now the U.S. must try to start turning the tide back in its favor.

Ewan Murray of the Guardian passed along comments from Love, who explained why getting back into the win column is so important on a crowded sports landscape:

"

If we keep losing then the American fans are going to say: "To heck with that, we'll go and watch something else." You know American sports fans; we are bandwagon jumpers. We have some cities that are loyal, Chicago to the Cubs, New York to their teams but in general we are a "what's in it for me right now?" society. If we keep losing, people are going to quit watching. You will still have your golf fans but will it continue to grow like the last 20 years? No. We need a win.

"

Quite simply, a rivalry loses its luster when one side starts winning too much. The United States could use a three-match winning streak of its own to rebuild confidence and prove there's reason to keep the Ryder Cup on a pedestal every two years.

Europe has other plans, of course. While it doesn't feature as much depth as the American squad, it has a lot of star power, with FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy as well as this year's Masters and Open Championship winners in Danny Willett and Henrik Stenson.

McIlroy in particular should be riding a wave of momentum after using a weekend surge to capture the playoff title last week. Keith Jackson of Sky Sports provided the superstar's remarks about trying to get the team's six rookies ready for the spectacle:

"

I was there and thought I knew what it was like, but there's nothing like walking onto that first tee for the first time and feeling that rush and just soaking in the atmosphere. So that's what I've tried to sort of reiterate to the rookies that are on our team.

It's like, you think you know what it's like and you think you've played under pressure, but you haven't. You haven't played under what this is going to be like. It's just trying to make them ready for that and trying to make sure that they are comfortable with where they are.

"

Thomas Pieters is one of those first-time competitors, and he could be the X-factor if Europe is going to capture its fourth consecutive victory.

The 24-year-old Belgian enjoyed a strong August on the European Tour. He finished second in the D+D Real Czech Masters before winning the Made in Denmark event. His combined score in those two starts was 31 under par, showcasing his upside.

As always, however, the Ryder Cup will come down to which side can hit more clutch shots. Mike O'Malley of Golf Digest highlighted a terrific tournament stat in regard to that topic:

It's remarkable how often a point comes down to the final hole. While each individual trip to the 18th tee might not seem important in the grand scheme of the event, being able to steal even a half-point per session can be enough to change the result in the end.

All told, this year's Ryder Cup has the feel of one that should go right down to the wire. The U.S. has the advantages of playing at home and a deeper team, but recent history says Europe is better in those big moments. Don't expect a winner to get crowned until deep in the Sunday singles schedule.