Ryder Cup Betting / Steven Rawlings / 17 September 2008 /

Unpatriotic it may be, but our golf bettor will be cheering home the Yanks this weekend.

After what feels like two years of build up and quite literally hundreds of very annoying trailers on Sky, usually in the middle of the live coverage of a European Tour event I may add, we're now very close to Friday's start at Valhalla.

Indeed, such trailers led one wag on the golf forum to sarcastically question whether 'half way through the Ryder Cup they will ask all the presenters for their favourite KLM Open moment'. Personally I can't see it, but it made me chuckle.

I'll come clean. I'm not a massive fan and the almost constant reminders of its existence when watching other events hasn't helped to endear me to this famous event.

Why am I not a massive fan? I don't know really, I guess I find it irritating to have to change tactics as match play is so vastly different to stroke play. Anyone that read my diary of the World Match Play back in February would know I'm not a fan of this format and that's because players react very differently playing match play. Could you imagine fragile perennial bridesmaid Nick O'Hern getting the better of Tiger Woods on the last day of a stroke play event, if the pair was tied? No, it just wouldn't happen and yet he's taken the great man's scalp twice at the aforementioned World Match Play event.

I guess that's what spooks me, I'm not on terra firma, in fact I'm about as confident as a Spurs fan on match day right now and I'm certainly not convinced I've made the right choice with my main bet.

I made my play a week or so ago, backing the USA @ [2.38] and although I'm wobbling slightly as crunch time approaches, I'll stick by it. I certainly seem to be swimming against the tide though and the current's pretty strong, but I still fancy them to break Europe's run this time, albeit only just!

It's nothing to do with Nick Faldo, I like the man, he's a legend and unlike many others I don't see his captaincy being anything but a plus for the Europeans. I know people are questioning whether his personality's right for the job but if anyone can relax the team it's Faldo. And besides, weren't people questioning Woosie two years ago?

I think the two sides are very evenly matched but that the Americans have slightly more strength in depth. I think JB Holmes, Hunter Mahan, and Chad Campbell could all prove to be strong picks, while I have my doubts about a few of the Europeans handling the occasion. I can envisage Graeme McDowell, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson all struggling and even Justin Rose getting overawed.

I also think Padraig Harrington's a bit of a concern. His very recent form is poor and his performance at the K Club two years ago was very shoddy; he was the lowest European points scorer with just half a point.

I'm also of the opinion that the absence of Tiger may kindle a new found stoicism in the American camp and I can see the likes of Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk really shining in his absence.

It's close, very close, a toss of a coin even, but I just favour the Americans on home soil.

There are many other markets to get stuck in to but for now I've had just two more wagers.

In the Top US Scorer market I've backed Mahan, who came in for some fierce criticism when he was quoted as saying the players were treated 'like slaves' at the Ryder Cup. He worked hard to back track on those comments and win over captain Paul Azinger and I think he could be a bit of value at [20.0] to prove how much representing his country really means to him.

In the Top European Scorer market Sergio Garcia looks a very firm favourite and I wouldn't put anyone off backing him. You would have collected on the Spaniard in each of the last two Ryder Cups, but I've gone for Ian Poulter at [18.5].

Poulter seems to be the golfer that everyone loves to hate for some reason. Personally I'm a big fan of 'Poults' and think he gets a rotten press. Yes, he goes out of his way to stand out with his flamboyant dress sense, but for me he always appears to give 100% and seems to get just about all he can out of his game. I'd like to see him prove to those that doubted his inclusion that they were wrong. I also think Faldo's a big fan too and I can see him giving him a start from the get go. And if he plays well on the first morning he could see quite a bit of action.

The only problem with both the above selections is that neither man may play enough to even give me a chance of collecting, so fingers crossed.

I do apologise for my lack of patriotism, but I simply can't get my head around cheering on an entire continent, or maybe those rumours about my dear departed Granny and the American airman weren't just rumours?

I'll post an update on Saturday morning, by which time hopefully Uncle Sam will have his nose in front.

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