Ryder Cup Odds 2014: Betting Lines for Top Stars and Tournament Newcomers
The United States isn't used to playing second fiddle to anybody in most major sports, but when it comes to the Ryder Cup, the U.S. has fallen way behind Europe over the last few decades.
The Americans enjoyed the upper hand from 1927 to 1983, but in the years after continental Europeans were allowed to participate, the pendulum firmly shifted. Since 1985, Europe has won nine times, compared to four for the United States.
With each passing edition, the gulf between the U.S. and its international counterparts seems to grow.
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With the 2014 Ryder Cup in Scotland, the Europeans will hope to make the most of their home-course advantage. They're opening as the early favorites.
Below are the overall odds for the tournament, as well as how each of the 24 golfers involved is favored.
| Europe | -185 |
| USA | +175 |
| Tie | +1100 |
| Phil Mickelson | 14-18-6 | 6/1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 0-1-2 | 6/1 |
| Jim Furyk | 9-17-4 | 8/1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 0-0-0 | 8/1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 3-1-0 | 8/1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 3-2-2 | 8/1 |
| Bubba Watson | 5-5-1 | 10/1 |
| Hunter Mahan | 3-2-3 | 10/1 |
| Webb Simpson | 2-2-0 | 12/1 |
| Zach Johnson | 6-4-1 | 14/1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 0-0-0 | 16/1 |
| Patrick Reed | 0-0-0 | 25/1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 4-3-2 | 7/2 |
| Ian Poulter | 12-3-0 | 6/1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 16-8-4 | 6/1 |
| Justin Rose | 6-3-0 | 7/1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 2-3-2 | 8/1 |
| Graeme McDowell | 5-5-2 | 10/1 |
| Martin Kaymer | 3-2-1 | 10/1 |
| Lee Westwood | 18-13-6 | 12/1 |
| Thomas Bjorn | 3-2-1 | 16/1 |
| Jamie Donaldson | 0-0-0 | 20/1 |
| Victor Dubuisson | 0-0-0 | 20/1 |
| Stephen Gallacher | 0-0-0 | 25/1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 5/2 |
| Jimmy Walker | 9/2 |
| Patrick Reed | 6/1 |
| Jamie Donaldson | 4/1 |
| Stephen Gallacher | 5/1 |
| Victor Dubuisson | 9/2 |
Note: Odds are courtesy of Odds Shark.
Analysis
What immediately sticks out is how inexperienced the United States is compared to Europe. Yes, both teams have three golfers making their Ryder Cup debut, but the U.S. is relying on young stars like Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley, who have a combined seven Ryder Cup matches between them.
Europe counters with Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, all of whom have played in at least 15 Ryder Cup matches. Rory McIlroy is a relative novice, and he's got nine matches to his name.
Renowned swing coach Butch Harmon thinks that being Ryder Cup neophytes might prove to be a positive for the Americans, citing the fact that many of the young players don't carry any scars from previous disappointments, per the Daily Mail's John Greechan:
"And I think the fact that it’s an inexperienced team is good for the U.S., because these guys that haven’t played in a lot of Ryder Cups, quite frankly, aren’t used to getting their brains beat out by the Europeans—unlike a lot of veterans. And that brings a lot of energy to the team.
These younger and less-experienced players, they aren’t scarred. You go back... and look at what Tiger Woods did to Ernie Els, Davis Love or Phil Mickelson, where he just beat them every time and time again. That wears on you.
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Plus, it's not like American newcomers Spieth, Reed and Walker are completely lost when it comes to pressure situations, Spieth in particular. He burst onto the scene with his second-place finish at the 2014 Masters.
Teammate Matt Kuchar mentioned that the 21-year-old plays with a confidence and style that belies his age, per GolfChannel.com's Rex Hoggard:
"He seems like he's played good golf for a long time now. So no advice. He seems to be very aware of what's going on and how to handle things. I mean, he's quite mature. At 21, he seems nearly a veteran. He seems like he could nearly be a guy to just speak like he's been here for years.
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If inexperience can breed mistakes, then familiarity could possibly breed complacency. For Europeans such as Garcia and Poulter, the event is old hat by now. Garcia's appearing in his seventh Ryder Cup with four wins already to his name. Poulter's going for his fifth Ryder Cup title in six tries.
Garcia allayed any fears the European team was beginning to grow too satisfied with past triumphs, per Carl Markham of the Press Association, via the Daily Mail:
"This is not a competition. I think we all know what we bring to the team.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that we are all here together and we are all here fighting for each other.
Everybody has their own way of doing it and we love the way Poults does it, and we all try to do it the way we know that works better for us and for the team.
The drive to try to do well and obviously win, it's still the same.
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Europe's chances will undoubtedly hinge quite a bit on the performance of Rory McIlroy. The 25-year-old won two majors this year, he is the best golfer in the world and was a part of Europe's 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cup-winning teams.
There was a little talk of dissension in the ranks between McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. A few months ago, it was claimed there was beef between the two. Indeed, McDowell recently revealed that he can't play with the four-time major winner.
Rather than any sort of personal animosity, though, McDowell said that the on-course differences stem more from the fact that McIlroy's emerged in such a large way and thus demands more of a leadership role in any pairing, per The Telegraph's James Corrigan:
"So our personal issues are not a problem this weekend—that's a fact. I think tactically, you know, the golf dynamic between Rory and I has changed significantly from the first time we ever played together back in 2009 at the Seve Trophy. Perhaps the older-younger brother leadership role I had with him has changed. He's the world's No. 1 player, he's a four-time major champion. The dynamic between him and I is changed forever.
Rory would now be the leader of the two of us and perhaps the dynamic doesn't work as well as it did in the past. Perhaps I'm the kind of guy that needs that leadership role who needs to feel like he is on at least on a level with the guy he's playing with.
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Even if McIlroy's rumored feud with McDowell comes to nothing, there's no question how important the former's performance will be.
USA Today's Steve DiMeglio wrote that McIlroy will be this year's No. 1 threat for the United States. Knocking off the Northern Irishman would have an impact that goes beyond the overall standings:
"Leading into Friday's commencement of the 40th Ryder Cup, the U.S. has placed a bull's-eye squarely on the back of McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world and the winner of two consecutive major championships this summer.
In the tense, biennial struggle between the U.S. and Europe, where one match or one-half point can decide the winner, beating the other team's best player, much like it was when Seve Ballesteros or most recently Tiger Woods were defeated, can provide a psychological lift for the entire team.
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McIlroy isn't showing any signs of weakness. The European team tweeted out a photo of the green on Gleneagles' behemoth of a ninth hole, which McIlroy reached in two shots:
The oddsmakers are smart to give Europe the early edge—the team has more experience and much more tournament success over the last few years.
It will take a massive effort for the United States to break the Europeans' current monopoly on the Ryder Cup.
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