The 41st Ryder Cup tees off on September 30th for another thrilling edition of the Europe v USA battle. This time the USA gets home advantage at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. It is Europe who are defending the title after their success in Scotland two years ago, their third title on the bounce. But will the tides be turning this year because it is the USA who punters have been piling their money on? The USA team are 8/13 to take the win in the battle with Europe out at 11/5. The draw, which would keep the title in the hands of Europe, fetches in a price of 12/1 at the moment. So another big occasion in the history of the Ryder Cup, can the Europeans pull off another underdog success?
It may be hard for them this time around because the USA have gone with a hugely experienced side. Two years ago, Europe posted a 16 1/2 – 11 1/2 at Gleneagles, a defeat in which skipper Tom Watson was criticized and it sparked a fall out in the USA as they scrambled to try and find a way to stop the slide in the tournament. They have a need to come together, for the skipper to actually listen to the input of the players and that is what the new setup is delivering. There have been brain trusts and calls to top players asking them about their opinions of the picks.
It’s reported that the line up for the Americans is already set, with the Task Force which included Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, wanting full unity in the group. Pairs have been decided and everyone knows who is playing where. The three wildcards that they have drafted in are Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler and JB Holmes with the understated Holmes perhaps set to be another core piece of the puzzle after he only dropped half a point out of the three available to him in the US victory at Valhalla back in 2008. The experience and steady hand of Kuchar is going to be valuable.
Europe’s captain Darren Clarke has selected Martin Kaymer, Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood have been added as Wildcards for their team. So Europe will be banking on the experience of Westwood and Kaymer, while there is a gamble perhaps on the inclusion of Belgian Rookie Pieters. While the USA will be boasting something of a familiar lineup, Europe have a very new look about them. Five of the nine automatic qualifiers will be making their first ever appearance in the Ryder Cup and throw in Peiters, that’s six newcomers to the stage in the European team. In contrast, just one of the USA’s core nine will be making a debut, that being Brooks Koepka.
Europe Ryder Cup 2016 Team Qualifiers (*denotes Ryder Cup debut)
Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett*, Henrik Stenson, Chris Wood*, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Rafael Cabrera-Bello*, Andy Sullivan*, Matt Fitzpatrick*
Wildcards: Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Thomas Pieters*
USA Ryder Cup 2016 Team Qualifiers
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jimmy Walker’s, Brooks Koepka*, Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson.
Wildcards: Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, JB Holmes, Captain’s final pick
Ryder Cup Outrights
USA 8/13, Europa 11/5, Draw 12/1
Ryder Cup Format
These competition will follow its usual path once again in the match play format which means that there will be 28 points up for grabs so whoever makes it to fourteen and a half first will be crowned the winner. Europe do have the advantage of holding on to their trophy if the tournament is drawn.
- Day 1 (Friday) – 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches and 4 fourball (better ball) matches
- Day 2 (Saturday) – 4 foursome matches and 4 fourball matches
- Day 3 (Sunday) – 12 singles matches
Hazeltine National Golf Club
The course will be played at a total of 7,628 yards par 72 of course. Making up the Ryder Cup course there will be four par 3 holes (4, 8, 13 and 17) and and four par 5 holes as well (3, 6, 11 and 16). This will be the first time that the course has hosted the Ryder Cup, but it has hosted major events before like the US Open and the PGA Championship. It is a hilly course with very narrow fairways and small greens with a lot of water hazards knocking around which affects nine of the holes. The jewel in the crown is the 16th which carriers over Hazeltine Lake onto a raised green with a downhill run off on all sides. It has been moved to hole 7 for the Ryder Cup.
Ryder Cup History
The Ryder Cup as we know it was really put together back in 1927 when actual rules were finalised for the tournament. Before that it had been common for players to travel back and forth across the pond to take part in the other’s national championship (the Open Championship and the US Open). But the Ryder Cup was really born in Worcester 1927 which was then between the US and Britain. It was in 1979 that the continental European players were drafted in to form a Team Europe instead. The reason that happens is because the USA were winning lopsided affairs and Jack Nicklaus was part of the idea to bring in continental Europeans.
Qualification methods on both sides of the pond have changed over time and currently, through the fall out of their three successive defeats, the USA have changed theirs since two years ago to include new qualification events and the captain now gets four picks. From 1979 when the team name was officially changed to Team Europe, their record is pretty solid. They have played 18 Ryder Cups, winning ten of them, losing seven and landing just the one tie. From back in 1927 when the USA competed for the first time in the inaugural event, they have played 40 Ryder Cups with 25 wins, 13 losses and 2 ties. Between 1927 and 1977 the European team was known as Great Britain or Great Britain & Ireland and collectively played 22 matches with just the three wins, so you can see why they wanted to bolster their chances by bringing in continental players.
Ryder Cup Correct Score Betting
USA 15-13 9/1, USA 14.5-13.5 10/1, USA 15.5-12.5 10/1, USA 16-12 10/1, Europe 14.5-13.5 10/1, Europe 15-13 11/1, USA 16.5-11.5 12/1, USA 16.5-11.5 14/1, 18/1 bar
Two of the last three editions have been won by a 14.5-13.5 scoreline in favour of Europe, including the last time that it was held in the States, back in 2012 ,when Europe pulled off that remarkable Miracle in Medinah after having been so far behind in the tournament. The USA have won just one of the last seven editions of the Ryder Cup and that was at Valhalla in 2008 when they created a comfortable 16.5-11.5 win. Last year’s edition was an easy 16.5-11.5 win for the Europeans at Gleneagles. So you have the 14.5-13.5 and 16.5-11.5 score lines having cropped up twice each in the last four editions.
The last time a really big win was put on the road was Europe’s 18.5-9.5 wins in both 2004 (Oakland Hill) and in 2006 (K Club). Half of the last ten editions of the Ryder Cup have been settled with way by a 14.5-13.5 result.
Ryder Cup Prediction
Will all of the rethinking that has been going on in the USA set up pay off? They have assembled a solid looking team and they trump the Europeans massively in terms of Ryder Cup experience. That is why, combined with them being on home soil that they are trading as firm favourites to swing the event back in their favour. However, they seem to choke a little bit when it comes to the Ryder Cup, as good as they are individually and Europe just seem to stick together better and handle the situation. That will be tougher for them with so many rookies in the side and while the Europeans are likely to keep this close, home advantage and experience may just pay off the for the USA outright and a 14.5-13.5 correct score.
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