Ryder Cup Betting / Craig Dutton / 15 January 2008 /

Craig Dutton's got Valhalla on his mind...

The 37th Ryder Cup matches will take place in Louisville, Kentucky, this year, and the September tournament will offer the USA a chance to redeem themselves after disappointments in the competition, winless since the turn of the century. Paul Azinger captains a US team on home soil, with Nick Faldo taking the reins of the visiting Europeans.

Azinger will hope that this year's event will bring a change in fortunes for the US team. There's a lot of pressure on them - though the Europeans have battled their way to the cream in World Golf in recent years, Americans have by no means floated to the bottom. Four of the top-five slots in the world rankings are filled by US players, and few would argue that the ace in the hole for the US should be Tiger Woods. A strong performance from him is vital should the home team go on to take the trophy. For a man of his unsurpassable talents, Woods' record in Ryder Cup golf has been nothing short of poor. Even in singles his record does not live up to the billing of the player.

His performances can be blamed on a few things. Firstly, Woods has publicly wondered why people get so excited by the Ryder Cup. I doubt he said that purely because he's been bad in it - a huge impact on his performances is the matchplay format. Essentially, Tiger Woods is in golf for Tiger Woods. His competitive juices flow readily when faced with individual goals that he slowly picks off one-by-one. He seems to place little importance in winning a team competition and it is not harsh or nasty to say he is interested in number one - that's probably why he is No. 1. But even Woods must feel his failures beginning to needle away at him.

The Europeans' Achilles Heel may well be the captain. Faldo has a great record in Ryder Cup action as a player, the 25 points he accrued being a sensational reward for any player. The fact this record was obtained through 11 different events shows the longevity of Faldo's impact on Ryder Cup Golf. Behind Montgomerie, perhaps, he will surely be remembered as a Ryder Cup great. But does he have what it takes to be a captain? He does not seem the inspirational leader - nor does he seem to mix with those playing for him a great deal. Paul McGinley's withdrawal from the vice-captain's role can be attributed to a number of things, but surely a concentration on golf can not be the only answer. If this is a signal of disharmony in the European camp, it does not bode well.

Europe's history in recent Ryder Cup events can not be overlooked, and I would make them slight favourites. The selection system has been revised meaning the US can take advantage of four wild cards, doubling what was previously available. Azinger now has such an increased input in the balance and shape of the team that a US victory cannot be ruled out. I can't see a walkover, so a tight finish looks well in the equation. I've built a fence, now I'm sitting on it.

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