It was nothing new to the online bookmaker when Tiger Woods was picked for the United States Ryder Cup team. Captain Corey Pavin tried to deny that he had locked up a spot for Woods on the team but we all knew he was going to take Tiger. It may not matter though as the United States is an underdog in offshore betting against Europe in this year’s Ryder Cup.
The United States team really does not look as good this time around. Woods is still ranked number one in the world but he has not won a golf tournament in more than a year. He is playing a little better in recent weeks but he has still not been a serious threat to win against the offshore betting odds. Maybe Tiger can get his game back for the Ryder Cup and give the U.S. a boost.
Pavin also selected Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink and Rickie Fowler with his other captains picks. Not many of the picks were a surprise. Woods was going to be on the team despite Pavin’s denials that nothing was written in stone. Johnson was a logical pick since he has played well in recent weeks. Cink is a Ryder Cup veteran and was almost a sure pick. The only pick that was even in debate was Fowler.
U.S. Team – The United States team already had eight players who qualified automatically. They are Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Jeff Overton and Bubba Watson.
European Team – European captain Colin Montgomerie picked Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari with his three captains picks. Those players join the automatic qualifiers who are Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson.
Europe is a Deserving Favorite – Europe is a -170 favorite at the Sbg sportsbook against the United States. They should be favored at the online bookmaker. The U.S. team has a ton of question marks. Woods isn’t winning, Mickelson is very inconsistent and the U.S. team is young. The U.S. has not won the Ryder Cup away from home since 1993. The only player on the U.S. team with a winning record in Ryder Cup matches is Hunter Mahan who is 2-0-3 in previous Ryder Cup action. The European team has a lot of experience and a lot of talent including Luke Donald who has only lost once in seven Ryder Cup matches.