This week's Ryder Cup golf tournament between the United States and Europe will be played at Oakland Hills Country Club outside Detroit from Friday to Sunday.

The teams are 12-a-side. A total of 28 matches will take place, culminating with 12 singles on the final day.

The first two days will feature a mix of foursomes and fourball matches, with the order of play determined through mutual agreement by U.S. captain Hal Sutton and his European counterpart Bernhard Langer.

Foursomes matches involve two-man teams, with each playing one ball. The players take alternate shots until the hole is completed. The lower of the two scores wins the hole.

If the same amount of shots on both sides are recorded, the hole is halved.

One player will hit the tee shot on odd-numbered holes with his team mate teeing off first on the even-numbered holes.

Fourball matches involve two-man teams with each player playing his own ball and completing the hole. The best score of the four wins the hole.

In singles matches, the result is decided when one player leads by more holes than there are holes left to play.

Team captains submit their order of play before each round of matches to an appointed tournament official. The lists from each captain are then matched, resulting in the pairings.