Ryder Cup Betting / Bill Elliott / 17 September 2008 /

Bill Elliott's been on the ground in Kentucky observing the teams, and it's not good news for the US backers....

The power may or may not be with Europe this week but it is certainly back with us. After two days in a Louisville hotel minus electricity thanks to Hurricane Ike the lights came back on at 10pm on Monday night. By then we - the great British press - had been in a free bar for several hours so it was actually several minutes before anyone noticed.

Still, it meant we could all have a hot shower this morning before heading off to the course where at regular intervals grown men came in to talk to us about how they were going to play Ryder Cup golf this weekend. Rookie Soren Hansen was the sweetest..."I am just enjoying myself so much, " said the likeable Dane. "All my life I have dreamed of this and suddenly I am here. It is simply wonderful."

Beside him in the interview room at this mammoth Media Centre, Sergio Garcia, the younger man of course, smiled the sort of patronising smile that could come only from a bloke who has been playing in these since before he needed to shave properly. Of course, now Sergio does need to shave properly he has stopped and at this stage of the week has the seedings on view of what promises to be a significant beard if he sticks with it.

According to the bubbly Spaniard it doesn't matter how he does personally in the big match as long as the team wins. "I'd rather be 0 and 5 and win than 5 and 0 and lose. This is all about the team, of sticking together and supporting each other and beating the Americans. I learn more about the other guys in these few days than I do over the two years in between Ryder Cups."

After all the rain at the weekend - eight inches in less than 24 hours, a record even for this storm-tossed part of the Southland - the sun is back out now and the heat is heading up into the high eighties. Lee Westwood loves it. The Englishman is now playing in his sixth Ryder Cup and is happy to accept that he is no longer the strong, quiet member but a bloke whose experience and form means he is now one of the team leaders. It is a role clearly that he is relishing this week.

"Me a leader now? Yeah, I suppose that's right. But really I'm just trying to be myself," said Westwood.

"Look, you can try to prepare rookies for what they are going to experience but it will still hit them. When I made my debut in 1997 at Valderrama I was shaking so much on the first tee I could hardly get my peg into the ground. But having Nick Faldo as a partner helped me enormously. Mind you that was in a four ball situation, we're starting with foursomes here and it can be really hard to get into that sort of match if you start off poorly.

"But I can chat to the younger players about all this. I rang Ollie Wilson a week ago and told him that if there was anything I could help him with he just needed to let me know. I told him that it was a truly great week and that he will remember it forever. I suppose I am putting my arm around him. That's what leaders do isn't it."

Watching and listening to the Europeans and then doing the same with a succession of Americans it was interesting to note how much more relaxed and together the holders appear at this early stage. Phil Mickelson, for example, was at his shoulder shrugging worst when he was asked the 'team leader' question.

"My only responsibility is to play well, " he said, ignoring the fact that half the USA side have never played in this match. Once again Mickelson just doesn't get the Ryder Cup. He may indeed play well, may help America to win but the team bonding that is so obviously happening with Europe does not seem yet to be taking shape with the USA.

If your money is with Europe then this is very good news. Much, however, may happen over the next couple of days. What has happened already is that Paul Azinger has ordered his side to be nice to the Kentucky fans who are turning out in their thousands already to support his side.

The US skipper has brought along 10,000 badges for his players to hand out and instructed everybody to sign autographs. Four years ago in Detroit it was Europe who charmed the American fans who booed their own players for refusing to sign anything or even acknowledge the punters most of the time.

"That, " says Azinger, "is not going to happen here. We're crowd friendly this time. The fans are important to us this week. They could be the difference in this match."

Ever seen a man trying to clutch hold of a very large straw in public?

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