Ryder Cup Betting / Steven Rawlings / 03 October 2010 /

The singles order has been announced but our man thinks it's a done deal.....

As an American backer, when play finished yesterday I felt a bit shocked and very disappointed. The end of today's play left me feeling much the same....

The Americans started the day firmly lodged behind the eight ball - down in all six session three matches but I honestly fancied a bit of a fight-back. There was a brief rally and at one point the Europeans drifted from the day's opening price of [1.49] to around [1.90], as America dragged themselves level in a couple of matches and even led in another but momentum shifted back again and they go into the singles trailing by 9 ½ - 6 ½, an insurmountable deficit surely?

Tiger Woods' defeat, out in the first match alongside Steve Stricker, had looked inevitable, but that didn't stop Sky irritatingly following every shot. It was momentous though, as it finished up as his biggest ever defeat in match play - they lost to Lee Westwood and Luke Donald 6 @ 5. But with all the close matches out on the course I couldn't understand why we weren't seeing any coverage of them.

And when that match was over, we saw constant coverage of the next match, between Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell and Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan - another match that never looked as though it could be anything other than a European win.

I suppose the producers and directors made the right decision to follow the Europeans in command; I guess that's what the majority of viewers wanted to see. I don't suppose they gear their coverage towards those of us having a wager, and certainly not towards the few betting on the Americans!

The heroes of the day were Ross Fisher, who must be an injury worry in the morning with a bad back after carrying the hapless Padraig Harrington again! And Miguel Angel Jimenez, who stopped the US rally in its tracks with a sublime birdie on the 16th to push him and Peter Hanson in front.

The chumps of the day were Phil Mickelson, who was yet again woeful, and Dustin Johnson, who has putted awfully all week. Though to be fair to him, he wasn't the worst putter of the day, that prize goes to Francesco Molinari, and yet ironically he ended up redeeming himself by making birdie at the last to secure half a point.

He wasn't the only one to struggle on the greens though, the damp conditions were clearly catching everyone out and I've never seen so many putts left short.

They've just announced the singles order and the first one that jumps out at me is the Edoardo Molinari v Rickie Fowler match, which could be a cracker. I haven't struck a bet just yet but Cink to beat Rory may be one

I wish I could envisage the Americans giving it a real go tomorrow and I'm sure Captain Corey will be reminding his troops about Brookline in 1999, when the Americans stormed back to win from 10 - 6 down, but that was at home. I just can't see a rally that impressive in wet Wales. Unfortunately for me, and for the event as an overall spectacle, I think this is a done deal and I've resigned myself to defeat, I just hope Corey's team hasn't.

Singles order

09.05 - Lee Westwood v Steve Stricker
09.17 - Rory McIlroy v Stewart Cink
09.29 - Luke Donald v Jim Furyk
09.41 - Martin Kaymer v Dustin Johnson
09.53 - Ian Poulter v Matt Kuchar
10.05 - Ross Fisher v Jeff Overton
10.17 - Miguel Angel Jimenez v Bubba Watson
10.29 - Francesco Molinari v Tiger Woods
10.41 - Edoardo Molinari v Rickie Fowler
10.52 - Peter Hanson v Phil Mickelson
11.05 - Padraig Harrington v Zach Johnson
11.17 - Graeme McDowell v Hunter Mahan

I'll be back in the morning with a live blog, starting very soon after play gets under way.

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