The 41st Ryder Cup is less than a month away when Team USA, led by Captain Davis Love III, square up against Darren Clarke’s Team Europe. All eyes will be in the state of Minnesota and at Hazeltine National Golf Club, the site of the 2016 matches. Team Europe has been in control for decades, winning the last three matches and eight of the last ten but somehow finds themselves an underdog again this year. There has been of action on the United States driving the line up to -175. BookMaker sportsbook opened the line at -125. When the Euros are underdogs, they usually find a way to win.
Team camaraderie is critical for the USA squad. They always seem to have more individual talent but lack in team unity, something Team Europe thrives on.
The Course: Hazeltine National Golf Club
Designed by Robert Trent Jones with help from his son Rees Jones, Hazeltine National is a masterpiece and a track that has withstood the test of time. It’s an old school, ball busting course that may be one of the tougher tests in all of golf. Jones took the landscape and put a premium on shot values that makes low scores a rarity. It challenges every aspect of a player’s game and is a perfect course to hold a match play event.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel and NBC
Current Ryder Cup Golf Odds at BookMaker Sportsbook:
TEAM USA -175
TEAM EUROPE +200
TIE +1200
Savvy gamers took advantage of the early line and grabbed Team USA at -125. The line is all the way up to -175 and with the way the players are performing, the line may go up some more. The tie at +1200 is tempting, but there has been only two ties in the 40 year history of the matches. Team Europe could also get some late action and drive the price back down.
ODDS ANALYSIS
United States Team:
Dustin Johnson 3-3
Jordan Spieth 2-1-1
Patrick Reed 3-0-1
Phil Mickelson 17-19-6
Jimmy Walker 1-1-3
Brandt Snedeker 1-2-0
Zach Johnson 6-4-1
Brooks Koepka ROOKIE
Rickie Fowler 0-3-5
J.B. Holmes 2-0-1
Matt Kuchar 4-5-2
Team USA has one Captain’s Pick remaining.
Team USA is loaded! Led by Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson, the United states looks almost unbeatable on paper. Throw in Patrick Reed and Zach Johnson and you are looking at a talented team. I am curious who Captain Davis Love III picks as his last captain’s pick. I would pick veteran Jim Furyk. No one has shot lower scores than him over the last couple of months. He shot 58! Although his record isn’t all that great in the Ryder Cup, he would add some veteran leadership that Team USA is lacking. I guarantee Love III has Furyk on his short list.
Team Europe:
Rory McIlroy 6-4-4
Justin Rose 9-3-2
Sergio Garcia 18-9-4
Henrik Stenson 5-4-2
Lee Westwood 20-15-6
Martin Kaymer 4-3-3
Rafa Cabrera-Bello ROOKIE
Matthew Fitzpatrick ROOKIE
Andy Sullivan ROOKIE
Thomas Pieters ROOKIE
Danny Willett ROOKIE
Chris Wood ROOKIE
Captain Darren Clarke has a lot of decisions to make. He has six rookies on his squad, so it will be important to ride the hot hand and sit down the the young players that don’t have their game. Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood and Danny Willett all need to pick up their games. All have struggled in recent months. One rookie to keep your eye on is Thomas Pieters. He played his college golf at Illinois and will feel comfortable playing in the Midwest. Check out the records of Garcia, Rose and Westwood. They love the match play format and will play their butts off for Captain Darren Clarke.
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