Ryder Cup Betting and Odds at NetBet Sport

Every two years, the United States and Europe go head-to-head in the Ryder Cup, the most popular golf tournament outside of the four majors. With a completely unique format and three days of action at some of the world’s best courses, it attracts plenty of betting attention.

We’ve put together a complete guide to Ryder Cup betting, including a history of the tournament, how it works, and some tips and strategies to help you maximise your winning potential at NetBet.

A Brief History of the Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup was first played in 1927 and was initially contested between the United States and Great Britain - it was only later that it changed from Great Britain to Europe. The first event took place at the Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts and was won by the Americans.

In fact, that was a trend that would continue for the best part of 60 years. Team USA won 21 of the first 25 tournaments, and it wasn’t until Great Britain and Ireland transitioned to Team Europe that they started enjoying some success. This happened in 1979 and in the years since, Europe have won 12, lost nine and drawn one Ryder Cup.

There have been many memorable moments in nearly a century since its inception, but arguably the biggest is known as the Miracle at Medinah. The tournament took place at the Medinah Country Club in 2012, with Europe overcoming a 10-6 deficit on the last day to lift the trophy. Ian Poulter was the catalyst, winning all four of his matches to kickstart the comeback.

Ryder Cup Format

The Ryder Cup is different to other golf tournaments in many ways, mainly because it is a team event and utilises the match-play format. Each team has an allocated captain and they are responsible for picking six of the 12 players on the team, with the other six qualifying through performance ranking points.

Match-play in golf involves scoring the holes individually, rather than counting the entire number of strokes. If a player scores lower, they win the hole. The player that wins the most holes wins the match, thus earning a point for their team. If the score is tied after 18 holes, the match is ‘halved’, with each player receiving half a point for their team.

The first contest is an alternate shot foursome. This involves players forming pairs in their team, taking it in turns to take shots on every hole. The second round of matches is a four-ball, contested by two players from each team. Each player plays their own ball, and the lowest score per hole, per team is counted. The final day consists of singles matches. Every match is worth one point.

Ryder Cup Betting Tips and Strategies

Understand the Format: It is crucial to understand the format before Ryder Cup betting, as it works differently to other tournaments. Learn which players typically thrive at which stage, and use this info to help forge your Ryder Cup betting decisions.

Research the Teams: It is important to find out who will be representing each team, then look into the form of those players, analysing how they have performed at recent events and in previous Ryder Cups.

Consider the Course: Some courses play to the strengths of different golfers and teams. For example, Europe very rarely lose on a home course. Find trends and patterns like this to help aid your golf betting experience.

Ryder Cup Live Betting

Live Ryder Cup betting is popular due to the rapidly shifting environment of the tournament. The momentum can shift with just a couple of matches, so it is important that players are flexible and capable of reacting.

This is where live Ryder Cup betting comes into play. With NetBet’s dedicated in-play betting page, you can keep on top of the markets and Ryder Cup odds as they shift, giving you ample opportunity to adjust your betting strategy and capitalise on changes you notice in the tournament.

Popular Ryder Cup Betting Markets

These are the most popular Ryder Cup betting markets:

Outright Winner: This is the most simple selection when it comes to Ryder Cup betting. It involves predicting whether the USA or Europe will win, or if it will end in a tie.

Match Betting: This is a bet on a specific match, whether that is a foursome, four-ball, or individual match. You must predict the individual or pair that will win the match.

Most Points: This is a bet on which individual golfer will win the most points for either team across the three days.

Top American/European: This bet involves predicting which American or European player will earn the most points for their specific team.

Scoreline: This is one of the most difficult markets when it comes to Ryder Cup betting. The player must predict the exact final scoreline.