Golf Betting – Ryder Cup Preview & Pick
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Date: OCT. 1 – 3
Event: 2010 Ryder Cup Championship
Course: Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, WALES
Defending Champion: USA
It’s time for one of sports’ most unique and exciting events: the Ryder Cup. With international golfers arguably never playing at a higher level, the quality of competition in the Team USA-versus-Europe event may reach new heights at Celtic Manor this weekend.
We’ve seen the home squad win the last two cups. Should golf bettors therefore back Team Europe in Wales? Here’s a breakdown of each team followed by my pick.
Team USA (+160 underdog)
Team USA is high on star power but isn’t the rock-solid group it was two years ago. The good news is that the Americans arguably have the two hottest players on the planet playing for them: big hitter Dustin Johnson and solid ball-striker Matt Kuchar. The bad news is that neither of those guys has played in a Ryder Cup before.
Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson both made the team and can be unstoppable when they’re hot, but they’re streaky and Watson is inexperienced. The Americans do have a strong veteran presence but their vets aren’t playing great golf right now. Phil Mickelson’s play has been spotty all year; same goes for Zach Johnson, whose game isn’t really suited for links conditions.
Then there’s Tiger Woods. You can’t blame Corey Pavin for picking him but the deck could be stacked against Tiger this week. Not only has he yet to truly find his game this season, who knows how the Welsh crowd will treat him in the fiery atmosphere? He may have to battle more jeers than cheers this time.
The match may rest on Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, as they’re both experienced players and they’re both playing solid golf this season. Their poise and accuracy will come in handy. I wouldn’t expect to see much of Pavin’s more questionable picks – especially the youngster Rickie Fowler.
Team Europe (-165 favorite)
The more pessimistic Team Europe supporter may be mad at captain Colin Montgomerie. After all, he had some questionable omissions from the team, most notably Justin Rose and Paul Casey. But a closer look suggests that Team Europe still has plenty to be excited about. 
In Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, Team Europe fields four of the top nine golfers in the world rankings. Kaymer, who won last week in Europe and has a PGA Championship to his name, is playing at Kuchar and Johnson’s level. He’ll be tough to stop, as will the talented, powerful McIlroy.
In Westwood, Poulter and Donald, Team Europe has some reliable vets. One of my favorite Monty picks was the crafty Padraig Harrington. The three-time PGA major winner is one of golf’s best course managers and a master at links play. He’ll be an extremely valuable piece of the puzzle.
The make-or-break pick could be Eduardo Molinari, whom Montgomerie will likely pair with brother Francesco. The captain insists that the brothers are great clutch players; time will tell if he’s right.
THE PICK
Not only do the Europeans have the home-field advantage, they have fewer question marks. Paddy, Westwood, Poulter and so on are experienced Ryder Cup players – and Poulter is the World Match Play champion. They have two of golf’s four 2010 major champions in Kaymer and Graeme McDowell. They have an embarrassment of riches in terms of pure talent level. How else can you explain leaving Casey, the world’s seventh-ranked golfer, off the team?
I see too many wild cards with Team USA. Their strongest players haven’t experienced the Ryder Cup before and the big guns like Tiger and Mickelson simply aren’t consistent right now. Team Europe makes sense on every level.
Pick: Team Europe -165
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One reply on “2010 Ryder Cup Championship Preview/Picks”
Why do you keep yalking about how they play on links courses? Celtic Manor is an American Style parkland course. No idea why they chose it, a links course would have been a far more advantagous option.