Who are we backing for the 2018 majors?
Ryder Cup betting: Who to back at Le Golf National
Unlike some of our friends across the pond, I’m not down on Europe’s chances.
With the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm about to burst onto the stage to assist some veterans looking for one last win, I’m far from downbeat about the chances of Thomas Bjorn’s men – not least when you consider America’s last win on European soil was back in 1993.
That said, I expected the USA (19/20) to be a far shorter price than the near-even money they are sitting at going into the start of 2018.
The Presidents Cup, of course, is no guide to what will happen in Paris and there were a number of mitigating factors for Europe’s humbling at Hazeltine.
But, that said, this US side is good. Really good. Johnson, Spieth, Thomas, Reed, Koepka – just listing those names should put some fear into the heart of every European. They’re battle-hardened, the Task Force is working… you get the drift.
I’m not wedded to this by any means. If Europe were to drift substantially from the 13/10 they currently are, I’ll be wading in on the boys in blue. I suppose I’m like the bookies, I think this one is going to be close.
But I’m taking the USA at the moment as a value bet. I reckon they will shorten significantly before proceedings get under way at Le Golf National – particularly if they dominate the major season. Maybe then, I’ll be able to back Europe and guarantee a profit.
But where’s the fun in that?
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
