The
Ryder Cup
in association with Genuity International |
| | | Americans
are bookies favourites for Ryder Cup European
Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, who also happens to be an enthusiastic gambler,
will be keen to see how the bookmakers rate his team's chances against the United
States at The Belfry later this month. On
Monday, the Americans were quoted as odds-on to retain the trophy which they won
two years ago at Brookline. With
three out of the four major champions in a side boasting the world's top three
players in Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval, the Americans, unsurprisingly,
are 9/4 ON to win. Europe,
despite home advantage, are 11/5. But
with Europe now strengthened by wildcards Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik, Torrance
firmly believes he has a team who can regain the trophy they lost so narrowly
last time out. Garcia
and Parnevik may, in fact, be his strongest pairing. The duo did not lose a single
fourball or foursomes match at Brookline in 1999. "They've
both been there (at the Ryder Cup) before, both (have) done it and have a lot
of experience," said Torrance. "Obviously
your picks have to be players you can put together. Those two were magnificent
at Brookline and they will probably play together this time, but not definitely." John
Daly's one-stroke victory over Padraig Harrington for the BMW International Open
in Munich on Sunday afternoon may also have swayed the bookmakers after the American
finally ended a six-year title drought. Daly
beat a European field containing nine Ryder Cup players -- all bar Parnevik, Darren
Clarke and Lee Westwood -- to give the U.S. side a welcome boost one month before
the showdown at The Belfry. This
week, though, Daly returns to the U.S. Tour for the Canadian Open, where the double-major
champion can further assess his improving game against his compatriots. At
the weekend, the big-hitting American returned a staggering 27-under-par total
over a Nord Eichenried course which he convincingly brought down to size. He
admitted on Sunday that playing short courses well had always been difficult for
him but he believes that his long overdue triumph has added another piece to the
jigsaw as he bids to regain the game which won him the 1991 US PGA and the 1995
British Open. "This
(win) has given me the chance to get the putter going and say, hey, I can play
shorter courses," Daly said. "I've
struggled at home with, say, the Bob Hope Classic and shorter course tournaments
like that. Now I won't doubt myself on shorter courses any more." While
Daly plays this week in Canada, England's Lee Westwood returns to European Tour
duty after seven days off following his wrist injury during the NEC Invitational. Westwood
will be keen to show he has not lost his renewed appetite for playing, which earned
him a share of second place in the Scandinavian Masters last month. Last
year's European number one will also be determined to underline his credentials
for The Belfry with a victory in this week's European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre
in Switzerland. Perhaps,
in the process, the Englishman might even help shave a small percentage off Europe's
odds for the Ryder Cup.
Genuity
International, in association with Ryder Cup, sponsors Golf Today
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