Ryder Cup Betting / Ralph Ellis / 29 September 2010 /

Tiger Woods has warmed to team golf and is relishing the build-up to this weekend's contest at Celtic Manor, says Ralph Ellis. So should Monty's men be worried?

The first time I covered the French Open tennis championships the big story was hearing a young American kid called Andre Agassi warn he'd never play at Wimbledon if he wasn't allowed to wear his coloured clothing - and dismiss the French Tennis Federation's Philippe Chatrier as a 'Bozo'. Within two years he was on Centre Court in his immaculate whites winning the title, and beginning a life long love affair with the grass courts of SW19.

So opinions change, and it looks as if Tiger Woods has undergone the same sort of conversion as far as his enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup is concerned. Back in 2002 he said he'd rather win a million dollar tournament than the Ryder Cup. At Celtic Manor this week it seems his priorities are changing.

He even forsook his normal love of a crack of dawn solitary practice round to join the rest of his team for a look at the course. And he carried the air of a man who actually wanted to be there!

Significantly he was paired up with Steve Stricker, the partnership which worked so well at The Presidents Cup. And it's a certainty they will be together again when the action starts for real on Friday.

Tiger's quotes are, not surprisingly, all over today's papers. But less reported and more revealing are what Stricker had to say about him: "It just sounds like he's in a good place, it sounds like he's excited with what he's doing on his game. I've been asking him what he's been working on and stuff, and it sounds like he's very happy with what he's doing."

The USA team look a happy bunch altogether. Captain Corey Pavin seems to be getting the right personalities to click - curiously putting Bubba Watson and his big friend Ricky Fowler on opposite sides of a practice fourball on Tuesday morning to stoke up a bit of friendly rivalry, while Watson partnered Phil Mickelson. That would be an interesting pairing to repeat for real - the first time in Ryder Cup history that two left-handers had played together.

Woods is inevitably favourite to be their top points scorer at [6.6], but Stricker is arguably better value at [7.4] having just moved into fourth place in the official world golf rankings. With Jim Furyk at five after his multi million dollar FedEx Cup triumph the US team looks strong. The weather might be encouraging more money in support of Europe - they are now [1.68] to regain the Cup - but Pavin seems to be fostering the sort of spirit within his team room that would make them want to defy the elements rather than be daunted by them.

It's 13 years since Woods made a forlorn Ryder Cup debut in Spain. If he's finally ready to embrace the team format - and it seems as if he could be - then Celtic Manor is set up for him to be a hero.

Five things you might not know about Bubba Watson

1. Born November 1978, dad Gerry, a former Green Beret, encouraged him as a six-year-old to play golf around the yard of their home in Bagdad, Florida, using a plastic 'wiffle ball' with a hole marked in the gravel of the drive
2. He still uses the same putter he had when he was a child and first played on a proper course - and is still completely self taught having never had a golf lesson or coach
3. Wife Angie is 6ft 4ins tall and a former University of Georgia and European professional basketball player
4. He uses a driver with a pink shaft, and a four wood with a lime green one, because he says he likes bright colours
5. While still playing golf he studied in secret to complete the degree he never finished while at University - and rewarded himself with a lime green Lamborghini

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