European captain John Jacobs added the first two wildcards, Peter Oosterhuis and Des Smyth. This was the first Ryder Cup in which either side used wildcard selections, also called captain's picks, to fill out their team. The 1979 Ryder Cup also had the first use of what is still the current format, what we now think of as the standard Ryder Cup schedule of play: two doubles sessions per day on first two days, one of foursomes, the other of fourballs and 12 singles matches on Day 3, with 28 points total at stake. They didn't help much this time - they each went 1-4-0 - but with Nick Faldo (who went 3-1-0) and Sandy Lyle joining Ballesteros on the team, the foundation was laid for Europe's later successes. What was originally Team Great Britain, then Great Britain & Ireland, was expanded to include golfers from continental Europe.Īnd the first two continentals to play? Spaniards Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido. Match Notes: This was a Ryder Cup of firsts, the most important of which was the first time for a Team Europe to compete. USA - Gil Morgan, Hubert Green, Larry Nelson, John Mahaffey, Tom Kite, Lee Trevino, Hale Irwin, Lanny Wadkins, Andy Bean, Fuzzy Zoeller, Lee Elder, Mark Hayes.Europe - Seve Ballesteros, Mark James, Brian Barnes, Bernard Gallacher, Sandy Lyle, Ken Brown, Antonio Garrido, Michael King, Nick Faldo, Des Smyth, Peter Oosterhuis.Team Captains: John Jacobs for Europe, Billy Casper for the United States Golf Course: The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia Following the Team USA victory, the all-time standings to this point were 19 wins for the United States, three wins for Great Britain/Ireland/Europe, and one draw. The Great Britain & Ireland team was expanded this year to include golfers from continental Europe. The 1979 Ryder Cup was the 23rd time this tournament was played, but the first time the United States team faced Team Europe.