How to bet on the Ryder Cup
Every two years, the Ryder Cup provides incomparable, enthralling entertainment to golf fans the world over. The finest players in the USA and Europe go head-to-head for three fantastic days of golfing combat – and there are so many ways to get involved by betting on the event.
Best Ryder Cup offers 2021
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What is the Ryder Cup?
Ever since 1927, the best male golfers in the USA have faced a matchplay challenge every two years from across the Atlantic.
First they met a Great Britain team, which later included the best players from Ireland. The USA won virtually every time. It was only after 1979, when the GB and Ireland team was expanded to include golfers from the whole of Europe, that the event’s competitiveness, and popularity as a spectacle – and an opportunity for betting – rocketed.
On each of the first two days, two foursomes and two fourball matches are played. On the final day, 12 singles matches decide the destiny of the famous trophy.
The Ryder Cup: Previous winners
2021 champion
United States
The United States recorded the biggest victory since continental Europe joined the Ryder Cup way back in 1979. The final scoreline of 19-9 was humiliating for Europe, who had won the previous tournament 17.5-10.5 in 2018. Among some great performances, Dustin Johnson was the star of the show, becoming the first American since Larry Nelson in 1979 to win all five of his matches.
2021 United States
Captain
Steve Stricker
A native of Wisconsin, where the 2021 event was held, 54-year-old Stricker has 12 career victories on the PGA Tour and once ranked at No.2 in the world. He picked Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, and Fred Couples as his vice-captains and after the emphatic victory declared that “a new era for USA golf” was underway.
2021 Europe
Captain
Pádraig Harrington
Three-time major winner Harrington has played in six Ryder Cups himself, winning four times, and was named captain in January 2019. He selected Robert Karlsson, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson as his vice-captains. Unfortunately for Harrington and Europe, his team underperformed, with John Rahm and Sergio Garcia the only two European players to win more of their matches than they lost.
The Ryder Cup: Most popular markets
Home advantage counts for plenty when it comes to the Ryder Cup. The USA has won only four of the last 13 events, but all those victories came on American soil.
The fact that the 2023 tournament will be played in Italy should give Europe the edge in the Ryder Cup odds, although perhaps not by as big a margin as usual given the United States’ emphatic 2021 victory.
The USA will be encouraged by the strength in depth of their young team, with several American players having emerged as Major winners in recent years.
However, matchplay is a completely different format to strokeplay. Much depends on the ability of a captain to forge a collective winning mentality and create partnerships that work well together.
If the 2023 captain can find some powerful pairings, Europe will have a great chance of bouncing back and maintaining their 30-year unbeaten record as hosts.
Hitting your team’s first drive in the Ryder Cup is an honor – but it is one that comes with enormous pressure.
The eyes of the golfing world, and fans across the USA and Europe, are on you as you try to find that first fairway.
Many Ryder Cup betting sites will offer you the opportunity to wager on which member of each team will be the first player to tee off in the opening match on the first day.
It almost goes without saying that it is likely each captain will select a player with huge experience of the Ryder Cup, and with a temperament that is proven on the big occasion.
It is highly unlikely that a rookie in his first Ryder Cup will be asked to get his team up and running. Research the experience and Ryder Cup records of each member of both teams before making your choice in this market.
Just as each captain will choose carefully who will play the first drive, he must ensure the right line-ups for his pairings across the first two days.
When you are considering Ryder Cup betting online, you may find sportsbooks offering odds on which player on each team will be the last to see some on-course action.
This is such a delicate balance for a captain to strike. On one hand, you want your rookies to ease their nerves by playing. On the other, you will have experienced men and pairings in your side you know you can lean on. There have been occasions in the past in which a rookie has not played until the final-day singles – usually with unhappy consequences.
Check out the Ryder Cup betting odds, listen to the captain’s words in the countdown to the tournament and see if you can choose which player will be the last to enter the fray.
While the Ryder Cup is the ultimate collective golf event, there is still tremendous prestige attached to being the leading points scorer in each team.
Many Ryder Cup golf betting sites will carry markets that invite you to select which European and which American will score the most points for their side.
The first factor you should research is how many of the matches each man is likely to play. There are five in all over the three days and playing in most or all of them is key to being a high scorer.
It is likely that players with great experience in Ryder Cup play will probably get the call from the captain more than the rookies in their team.
However, it is also worth being wary about backing players in their late thirties or forties. Their experience may be compromised by the mental and physical strain of five demanding matches in three days.
Ryder Cup teams are selected based on performances in the respective tours over the two years leading up to each contest.
However, a certain number of places will be selected by the captains themselves, who can choose the players they think will be most suited to the competition.
Such players are often experienced Ryder Cup campaigners who may not have excelled in strokeplay tournaments in the months leading up to the event.
Three players on the European team will be captain’s picks, while six – half the team – of the American side will be chosen by their leader.
Look at men with Ryder Cup pedigree or particularly good form over courses similar to the venue for the Cup when making your selections in this market.
One of the most challenging Ryder Cup betting markets is on the biggest margin of victory that will be recorded in the 28 matches – eight foursomes, eight fourballs and 12 singles – over the three days of the event.
In matchplay, victory is expressed as the number of holes a team or individual is in the lead, against the number of holes still to be played.
The biggest margin of victory ever seen in the Ryder Cup is 8&7, where in each instance the winner was eight holes up with only seven holes of the round left.
Several matches have been won 7&6 – but only one this century. This is a reflection of how close the contests have been in recent decades.
Remember, when wagering on these Ryder Cup betting odds you don’t have to specifically identify the match in which this margin will be recorded – only the biggest margin seen over the three days.
There are a host of ways in which you can bet on over/under (or total) at Ryder Cup betting sites. The sportsbook will make a prediction of how many times a particular event will occur. If you think it will happen more times than that number, you bet “over”; if you decide it will be fewer, you wager on “under”.
You can bet on the number of points each player will score, as well as their team totals. You can also have your say on how wide you think the overall margin of victory will be.
The last four editions of the Ryder Cup have all been emphatic wins for the hosts, with the USA’s record 10-point margin of victory in 2021 following on from a six-point win in 2016. Europe won by seven points in 2018 and five points four years earlier.
It is worth bearing in mind that in matchplay golf not every hole is played to a finish, so it is unlikely you will be able to bet on players’ shot totals.
One of the most enjoyable ways of getting involved in Ryder Cup betting odds is by wagering on a particular pairing or individual to win a particular head-to-head matchup. However, you need to be very quick on the draw to react to the Ryder Cup odds when they are announced.
This is because the make-up of each pairing is not known very much in advance of each match – let alone the identity of the twosome they are facing. Similarly, the order of the final day’s singles pairings tends not to be revealed until the morning of play.
Taking a view on matchups is a terrific way to enjoy Ryder Cup betting online, but you should be aware of the form of each player and their opponent before wagering.
Many sportsbooks will also enable you to bet on matchups between individuals based on their points totals over the three days, even if they never face each other in person.
Golf bets explained
Tournament Winner
The simplest golf bet you can make – although the size of the fields does add to the challenge. Who will win the tournament? Just decide on the player you think will record the lowest score over the four rounds and wager on them accordingly.
In-play betting on the Ryder Cup
You can still get involved in Ryder Cup betting even after the first drive has been played in the opening match on day one.
Golf is a hugely popular sport for in-play betting, and a matchplay event such as the Ryder Cup lends itself brilliantly to wagering while the action is under way.
For instance, if Europe lose the opening foursomes session on the first day, you can still bet on them to stage a comeback and win the trophy again, likely at higher odds than they were before the start of the competition
On the last day especially, the balance of play see-saws constantly, making it hugely enjoyable to wager on individual matches and the overall outcome.
Ryder Cup betting tips
The Ryder Cup, as the leading matchplay event in the world of golf, is very different in structure to the weekly schedule of strokeplay events around the calendar.
However, its head-to-head nature lends itself to a huge variety of markets more familiar to bettors who bet regularly on other team events.
When you’re looking for the best sportsbooks for Ryder Cup odds, concentrate on those with a reputation for trustworthiness and an app that allows you to bet quickly and easily.
It’s also worth looking out for sportsbooks with compelling offers for new and existing customers. Many brands use major events such as the Ryder Cup to attract fresh business with promotions such as free bets. When you place your first wager, they will match it or even multiply it with an amount in your account that can be used for future betting.
Ryder Cup betting promotions
Where will the 2023 Ryder Cup be held?
Ryder Cup
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome, Italy
9/29/2023 - 10/1/2023
The Marco Simone Golf and Country Club pipped golf clubs in Vienna, Berlin and Girona to win the rights to stage the 2023 tournament.
It’s the first time the event has been staged in Italy, and only the third time Europe has hosted outside of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, following Spain in 1997 and France in 2018. Just 10 miles from the centre of Rome, the golf club was built in 1989 and is named after the castle of Marco Simone – a Roman fortified manor farm.
It has hosted the 1994 and 2021 Italian Opens, but the 2023 Ryder Cup will be by far the biggest event in its history.
Ryder Cup betting FAQs
What countries can play in the Ryder Cup?
Do Ryder Cup players get paid for playing?
What are the best online gambling sites for Ryder Cup betting?
How does golf betting work?