Ryder Cup Betting
The Ryder Cup is a golf tournament that takes place between teams from Europe and the United States every two years. The Cup used to be held on odd number years until the scheduling was restructured due to the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
The Ryder Cup tournament began in 1927 as a competition between a United States team and a team from England and Ireland. In 1979, to make the tournament more competitive, the structure of the tournament was changed to Europe versus the United States.
The champion of the Ryder Cup receives the Ryder Cup trophy, named after the donor of the trophy, Samuel Ryder, a successful British businessman who became a golf enthusiast at the age of fifty. The tournament alternates between the United States and the United Kingdom, though it was played in Spain in 1997 and Ireland in 2006.
Because of its international flavor, wagering on the Ryder Cup will draw gamblers from around the globe.
The 2010 Ryder Cup
In 2010 the Ryder Cup tournament will be held on October 1st through the 3rd at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales. This is the 38th Ryder Cup and the United States will attempt to defend the title it won in 2008 at the Valhalla Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The 2008 victory for the Americans was Team USA’s first title since 1999.
Team Europe will consist of the top four players on the Ryder Cup World Points list, top five players, not included above, on the Ryder Cup European Points List, and three Captain’s Picks. Team USA will consist of the top eight players on the Ryder Cup Points List and four Captain’s Picks. Team Europe will be confirmed and announced on August 29th. The automatic qualifiers for Team USA will be confirmed on August 15th prior to the conclusion of the US PGA Championship and the Captain’s Picks will be announced on September 7th.
For the 2010 tournament, the format will be the same as the previous two Ryder Cup competitions. The first two days of the tournament are comprised of four foursome matches played in the morning and four foursome matches played in the afternoon. The final day of the tournament will have twelve singles matches for a total of 28 matches. The team that wins the most matches will claim the Ryder Cup.
Betting on the Ryder’s Cup
The tournament offers gamblers from around the world a plethora of opportunities to bet on one of the world’s most exciting competitions. The Ryder Cup is one of the largest wagering events in the world with gamblers on both sides of the pond laying millions of dollars down for a chance to win some extra currency. A variety of betting options are available with some unusual and interesting offerings.
Betting Options
- Antepost Winner: Gamblers can place bets on the final team winner of the match any time of the year prior to the event. Most gamblers wait until the team is chosen to make their wager.
- Matchplay: Gamblers can place wagers on who will win the various 18-hole match play pairings during the three day tournament.
- Foursome: Gamblers can bet on the team they believe will win the various foursome held during the Ryder Cup. In these foursome, players alternate shots with the team reaching the 18th hole in the fewest shots winning the match.
- Fourball: This is similar to normal three-ball betting. Those looking for plenty of action can place bets on any individual player or any team
- Special Bets: There are unique bets that are often created for special events and the Ryder Cup is no exception. Gamblers can place bets on which players will score a hole-in-one, what the final score will be for any round, winning supremacy, the top point scorer, and which player will hole the winning putt.
The most popular betting option is to pick the team winner; Team USA or Team Europe. In the previous fifteen Ryder Cups ( between 1979 and 2008), the home team has won ten times.
When choosing a team winner, the possibility of a draw should be taken into consideration. This has happened only twice in the history of the tournament; in 1969 (16-16) and 1989 (14-14). In 1969, the Americans, the defending champions retained the cup, and 1989 the Europeans held onto the championship they had captured two years prior.
Ryder Cup betting will draw gamblers from across the globe. Some sports books have already opened ante post betting which offers gamblers the chance to wager early at attractive prices. For those highrollers itching to get in on some early action, it is possible to bet on which players make the team up until the teams are confirmed and announced.
Gamblers are already gearing up for the Ryder Cup and it promises to be a huge event for with millions of dollars and Euros up for grabs.