The 2006 Ryder Cup Preview
Friday sees the 36th Ryder Cup teeing off in Ireland for the very first time. Although European captain Ian Woosnam will be banking on vociferous Irish support, home advantage isn’t necessarily a decisive factor. Over the past 10 Ryder Cups, only five have been won by the home team, four by the visitors and one tied. However the Europeans have amazing strength in depth, with eight of the world’s top 20 in the side as opposed to five for the Americans.
Woosnam, a veteran of eight Ryder Cups as a player, will be counting on individual form to give Europe the edge once more. Henrik Stenson will be looking to repeat the same coolness that won him the recent BMW International Open in Munich. Paul Casey, Robert Karlsson and Monty all impressed at the World Match Play last weekend. Dubliner Padraig Harrington and Olazabal finished in the top 10 over in Madrid. All in all, they’re a team in form.
The Americans on the other hand have been pretty ineffective to say the least. Surprisingly, Woods and Furyk failed to get past the first round at Wentworth. Last week’s 84 Lumber Classic included five of Tom Lehman’s players and there wasn’t much to write home about. Chad Campbell and Verplank struggled and missed the cut by a distance whilst Di Marco, Toms and rookie Wetterich failed to pressure the top of the leaderboard.
It will be interesting to see if the Americans’ lack of collective experience will prove crucial. Whereas Lehman’s team includes four rookies, Europe will only play two. In terms of overall experience, Sergio, Monty and Olazabal have more Ryder Cup wins than the combined total of the American team and it’s the two-man format where the Americans have struggled. At the 2004 Ryder Cup, it was surprising to see Woods and Mickelson fail so badly. However there are some positives for the U.S. as Woods and Furyk paired well at last years Presidents Cup and are partners in the foursomes.. Di Marco thrives on match play golf and paired with Mickelson to good effect in the Presidents Cup. Given that the team were defeated by a record-equalling margin at Oakland Hills in 2004, Lehman has worked around the clock to boost team morale and unity. He’ll certainly look to the world’s top three of Woods, Furyk and Mickelson in the Sunday singles - and they know how to putt!
Even though home advantage has little value, familiarity with the course could decide whether Europe will be lifting a third successive Ryder Cup for the first time. It is the home of the European Open and none of the Americans have played there. Woosnam will have the luxury of looking to Westwood and Clarke who are previous winners. Monty and home favourite Harrington have been runners-up and this invaluable experience may further enhance Europe’s tag as Ryder Cup favourites.
How Does the Top European Points Scorer Market Work?
Sporting Index offer a huge range of markets to bet on, and one of the most popular is the Top Points Scorer for each team.
This market is run on an Index, which predicts which player will score the most points for a particular team. For the Top European Points Scorer, the points are:
1st = 50 points
2nd = 30 points
3rd = 20 points
4th = 10 points
Other = 0 points
The current spreads for the top players in this market are:
Garcia - 13 to 16 points
Donald - 12 to 15 points
Monty - 12 to 15 points
Harrington - 10 to 13 points
Casey - 9 to 12 points
D. Howell - 8 to 11 points
Westwood - 8 to 11 points
Let’s take Garcia who is priced at 13 to 16 points. If you think he will score more than 16 points on the index, simply bet ‘high’. Alternatively, if you think he will perform poorly for the Europeans, bet ‘low’ at 13.
For example:
a) Will Garcia get more than 16 points?
OR
b) Will Garcia get less than 13 points?
Let’s say that you think the Spaniard repeats his Ryder Cup form of 2004 where he remained unbeaten. Therefore you ‘bet high’ and stake £5 per point on the outcome.
Let’s say you’re right and he takes the glory by getting the most points for the team. In doing so, he’d be awarded 50 points on this index. You were betting on him to get more than 16 points, at £5 per point. You would therefore win (50 - 16) x £5 = 34 x £5 = £170.
However he could struggle on the Palmer course and finish fourth on the index. Because you bet ‘high’ at 16 points, there is a shortfall of 6 points (16 minus 10). At a stake of £5 per point, this would result in a loss of (16 - 10) x £10 = 6 x £10 = £60.
Ryder Cup Promotion: ‘You’re Havin’ a Halve!
On top of the various spread betting markets Sporting Index offer on the Ryder Cup, they’re also running an exciting promotion. Buy a player or pairing in a match bet and if the match ends in a halve, they will refund your losses. Terms and conditions apply. See site for further details