What did this year's Ryder Cup teach us about business?

In a tale as old as time, in this blog, we’ll take a look at golf and the business world.

Now, usually, when it comes to golf and business, we might think of older gentlemen in diamond-patterned jumpers and knee socks chatting and networking on the green and in the clubhouse. However, I’m not going to talk about how to use golf to launch your business network - instead, I’d like to share with you some thoughts I had whilst watching this year’s Ryder Cup.

Stick with me, and all shall become clear.

What is the Ryder Cup?

For those of you who aren’t into golf, the Ryder Cup is a competition held every two years, whereby a team of the twelve best European golfers play against a team of the twelve best from the USA.

This three-day event comprises two days where the golfers play in teams of two, and one day where they go head-to-head.  In the recent 2025 match, held in New York, the Europeans started well, winning most of the team matches on the first two days.  The Americans made a comeback on the final day, winning most of the singles matches.  Overall, Europe won the competition, but it was a very close thing.

What were the key elements in play, and why was there such a large swing in favour of the Americans on the last day?

Teamwork vs flying solo

The first two days were all about teamwork, helping your partner, supporting them, and encouraging them when they had a bad shot or were struggling with their concentration.  

The Europeans excelled at this support; their team captain had made sure they spent a lot of time together in the few weeks before the competition.  They were encouraged to practice together and learn more about each other’s games so they could complement each other on the course.  The two players in each team made sure they stuck together throughout the whole of their game, walking and talking and helping each other with each shot.

In contrast, the Americans simply played their own game; they were not seen to chat much or support each other during their team matches. There was often tension between them, as each player was fully focused on their own game and not considering what was needed to win the match they were playing. It looked like they were playing against each other, rather than with each other on a team.

So how did they almost win?

On the last day, when each of the twelve players went head-to-head with one of their opponents, the Americans started to win many matches.  Their style of playing their own game and not thinking about anyone else was starting to work in their favour.  

The Europeans, however, whilst not playing badly, did not have the fire in their belly that the Americans were demonstrating. They were still thinking about the overall team result, and each time an American won his match, the Europeans were noticeably concerned, starting to worry and lose concentration.  Without their playing partner to help them focus, they began to make mistakes and lose even more matches.

The Americans were great at playing their own game and flying solo. The Europeans were happier playing on a team.

What does this have to do with business?

Take a moment to consider what words you might associate with “entrepreneur”. Perhaps you think of “self-starters”, “outside-the-box thinking”, “leaders”, “lone wolves”...

Generally speaking, entrepreneurs build businesses from the ground up, and they more often than not start these businesses on their own. After all, not many business owners begin a new venture with plenty of cash behind them to build a team from day one. The ideology of creating a business from your spare bedroom or garage is alive and well.

When we’re in a tricky phase of finding clients and cashflow, it’s our passion and enthusiasm that enables progress. We start alone with our drive, but we can’t continue entirely alone if we want our business to grow and thrive.

But as time goes by, we may stumble and start to lose that passion, and if there’s no one there to support us, we might lose interest and momentum, potentially leading to the closure of our business. There’s a reason the cliche of entrepreneurs is they’re always chasing the bright, shiny new thing. 

So what do we do about it?

You can build the spark on your own, but if you want it to grow into your legacy, you’ll need a team around you.

As a business owner, there are moments to lead from the front, to show your individual brilliance and set the standard for others to follow. And there are times when true success comes from collaboration: when you need your team to understand not just what you’re doing, but why, so they can walk alongside you and share the load.

The best leaders know when to step back, and trust their team to make their business shine.

As we saw with the Ryder Cup, there’s a time and a place to fly solo, and a time for teamwork, and we need both in our recipe for long term success in business.

I’m Lesley Jones. With over 30 years’ experience across the full business journey, from launch to growth to exit, I help business owners navigate challenges, make confident decisions and build businesses they’re proud of. Let’s connect.