In Ryder Cup scoring, “9 and 7” means one side was 9 holes up with only 7 holes left to play , so the match ended early because the other team could no longer catch up. That’s the same kind of match-play shorthand as “3 and 2” or “4 and 3.”

Quick meaning

  • 9 = holes ahead.
  • 7 = holes remaining.
  • So 9 and 7 = a very one-sided win, ending before all 18 holes were played.

Example

If Team Europe is 9 up after 11 holes, the match is over because only 7 holes remain. That result would be recorded as 9 and 7.

Why it appears

The Ryder Cup uses match play , where each hole is worth one point to the player or team who wins that hole, and the match stops once a side has an insurmountable lead.

If you want, I can also explain what “4 and 3,” “2 up,” and “halved” mean in Ryder Cup scoring.