Qualla: 1959 Ryder Cup

1959 Ryder Cup: Introduction

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. The British Ryder Cup team of 1959 crossed the Atlantic on the RMS Queen Elizabeth. Then they boarded a flight from Los Angeles toward Palm Springs — but after severe turbulence left nearly the entire squad ill, captain Dai Rees switched the team to a bus for the final leg. They were competing at Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells — a desert resort course that bore no resemblance to the links of Britain — in November, in heat that suited no one who had just spent a week on a ship. The United States won.

Read more: 1959 Ryder Cup on Qualla

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

1959 Ryder Cup: Eldorado and the Desert Course

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells was among the premier golf facilities in the Coachella Valley when it hosted the 1959 Ryder Cup on November 6 and 7. The desert course presented conditions unfamiliar to British players accustomed to seaside links: firm, fast fairways, minima...

Read more: 1959 Ryder Cup on Qualla

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

1959 Ryder Cup: Eric Brown's Victory

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. Of the eight singles matches played on the second day, the British team won precisely one. Eric Brown defeated Cary Middlecoff 4 and 3 — a decisive result that stood as the sole British bright spot in a match otherwise dominated by American players. Brown was known for his compet...

Read more: 1959 Ryder Cup on Qualla

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

1959 Ryder Cup: The Last of the Old Format

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. The 1959 contest was the final Ryder Cup played under the format of four foursomes plus eight singles — twelve total points. Subsequent editions would expand the match to accommodate more players and more sessions, eventually reaching the thirty-two-point format in use today. In ...

Read more: 1959 Ryder Cup on Qualla

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0