Lump on US for Ryder Cup as Love picks wildcards
Published:Europe has only won two Ryder Cups in the US in the last 20 years and given the strength of the wildcards selected by Davis Love, this minimal ratio is set to continue.
The US are 4/5 to win the Ryder Cup and this looks a fair price now that Love’s additional foursome are known.
Love opted for experience and current form with his picks as veterans Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker were joined by Dustin Johnson and perhaps most surprisingly Brandt Snedeker.
Johnson’s pick is logical as he has finished inside the top four in his last two events, drives the ball miles which will be an asset at a long Medinah course and would have arguably been an automatic pick if not missing three months of the season through injury.
Stricker seemed another banker given his strengths on the greens and the partnership he has developed with Tiger Woods in both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup previously.
Snedeker is another who is deadly on the greens and tops the PGA Tour statistics this season in terms of strokes gained through putting.
Like Johnson, he has been in great recent form too, with top-six finishes in his last two starts.
Therefore, although Snedeker will be making his Ryder Cup debut, Furyk may be the riskiest selection even if he has experienced the event seven times before.
Furyk only has one top-ten and has missed three cuts since the start of July, while he has not won a tournament since 2010.
In terms of those to miss out, Hunter Mahan can feel the most aggrieved.
He finished ninth in the points standings, with the top eight gaining automatic spots, while he beat Rory McIlroy in the final of the WGC World Match Play this year.
Throw in that he lost the decisive rubber to Graeme McDowell in the last Ryder Cup and the fire will certainly be in his belly.
It is true that his recent form has dipped significantly, but it is not any worse than Furyk and his added distance may have been as asset.
For Rickie Fowler, he was hard to pick having not registered a single top-20 finish since the end of May.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
