Ryder Cup Betting: The Punters preview

Captains Love and Olazabal with the Samuel Ryder Trophy
In readiness for Friday's eagerly awaited biannual battle for the Samuel Ryder Trophy, our man looks at the event's history, format and this week's course, Medinah...
Tournament History
The first Ryder Cup was staged in 1927, when the United States beat Great Britain 9 - 2 at Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts, but the wheels were set in motion for the biannual transatlantic tussle a year earlier. Samuel Ryder, a wealthy businessman who had made his fortune selling seeds at a penny a packet from his garden shed, sponsored an informal event in 1926 at Wentworth, which saw a GB side beat a Walter Hagen-led US team 13-1 before it became an official event 12 months later.
After losing the inaugural event, Great Britain won the next two renewals on home soil, in 1929 and 1933, but only managed one more victory, again on home soil in 1957, before Irish players joined them in 1973. Three Ryder Cups were staged with a GB & Ireland team but still the Americans dominated. The event was uncompetitive and fast losing its appeal so in 1979, Team GB & Ireland became Team Europe and although the US won comfortably in 1979 and 1981, in 1983 the Europeans ran the Americans close at the PGA National in Florida, losing narrowly 14 - 13 and that was a major turning point.
The Europeans comfortably won at the Belfry in 1985, before winning for the first time on US soil two years later at Muirfield Village. They retained the trophy with a drawn match in 1989 and it wasn't an uncompetitive event any more. It's grown in stature ever since and it now appeals to a far wider audience than golf fans alone. The last renewal at Celtic Manor, two years ago, was an absolute classic and if this year's event is half as exciting then we're in for a treat.
Format
Two teams of 12 play out 28 match play ties over three days, with 14 points the total required to take the trophy.
The first session on Friday morning sees US Team captain, Davis Love III, pick four teams of two from his 12 man squad take on European captain, Jose Maria Olazabal's four pairs in foursomes match play. Foursomes format is often called "alternate shot" and is a tougher format than fourball. The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player then hits the third shot, and so on and so forth until the ball is holed. Players hit alternate tee shots so that the same player doesn't hit every drive.
Friday afternoon sees four teams of two from each side play each other in the first fourball session. In fourballs, each of the four players plays their own ball and a point is scored by whoever plays the hole in the fewest number of shots.
Saturday is a repeat of Friday. Foursomes in the morning and fourballs in the afternoon and then on Sunday, there's no hiding place with 12 singles matches determining the result.
Venue
Medinah Golf and Country Club (No.3), Medinah, Illinois
Course Details
Par 72, 7,658 yards
Medinah's Number Three Course, originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1928, has staged five majors to date. Three US Opens - 1949, 1975 and 1990 and two PGA Championships, in 1999, and most recently, in 2006. Both PGA's went the way of Tiger Woods but the most memorable Medinah moment came courtesy of a fresh-faced Sergio Garcia in 1999.
The course won't be set up anywhere near as tough as it was for any of the majors, with minimal rough and wide fairways, designed to suit the US Team. Paul Krishnamurty takes a more in-depth look at the course here.
Useful Sites
Course Site
Event Site
Course Tour
TV Coverage
Live on Sky all three days - 12.30pm and 6.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.00pm on Sunday. Highlights on BBC.
Last Ten Ryder Cup Results
2010 Europe (14 1/2 - 13 1/2)
2008 United States (16 1/2 - 11 1/2)
2006 Europe (18 1/2 - 9 1/2)
2004 Europe (18 1/2 - 9 1/2)
2002 Europe (15 1/2 - 12 1/2)
1999 United States (14 1/2 - 13 1/2)
1997 Europe (14 1/2 - 13 1/2)
1995 Europe (14 1/2 - 13 1/2)
1993 United States (15 - 13)
1991 United States (14 1/2 - 13 1/2)
Selections
Recent results point to the Europeans but home advantage is huge and Medinah is widely regarded as more likely to suit the Americans, who have been well backed over the last week or so. The market looks about right now to me but if forced into a pick I'd side with the Europeans.
As much as I'm looking forward to the event, unearthing triple-figure stroke play event bets are more my cup of tea and I'm going to leave the outright market for now, though Paul's advice to back the draw looks interesting. It's looks sure to be tight, and given that half of the last ten Ryder Cups have finished with a score of 14 - 13 , I wouldn't put anyone off backing either or both sides to win by that margin again.
In the Top European Market, I simply have to back Ian Poulter again. He has been the top overall points scorer at the last two Ryder Cups. He's won both the WGC World Matchplay and the Volvo World Matchplay in recent years and although he needed a wildcard pick this time around, with a record that reads, eight wins from 11 ties, I can't let him go un-backed.
Dustin Johnson is in fine form and Medinah should be ideally set up for him but his match play record is too poor to ignore, so in the Top US Market, I've followed in Paul with Bubba Watson at a sporting price.
Selections:
Top European Points Scorer:
Ian Poulter @ 9.417/2
Top US points Scorer:
Bubba Watson @ 13.012/1
Although I'll be an avid viewer all weekend, I won't be trading the event in the same manner as I do strokeplay tournaments, so there'll be no In-Play Blog from me this week. Instead, Paul Krishnamurty will be around all week and he'll be updating throughout the tournament with advice on all the ties and Mike Norman will be providing a daily news/betting update. I'll be back again on Monday with my De-Brief.