Warren Little/Getty Images. Pictured: Sergio Garcia (center) and Jon Rahm (right).
After three long years, golf’s best three-day competition is back. The Ryder Cup is set to kick off with four outstanding matchups between the U.S. and Europe, featuring many of the world’s best golfers.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas will kick things off against World No. 1 Jon Rahm and fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
Next up will be Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa facing Paul Casey and Victor Hovland, then former college teammates Daniel Berger and Brooks Koepka against English duo Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick.
The grand finale is FedEx Cup winner Patrick Cantlay teaming with Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele against Rory McIlroy and the ultimate Ryder Cup villain (at least for American fans) in Ian Poulter.
Our GolfBet team has gone over the matchups, and here’s where they see the most value on Friday morning:
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Brooks Koepka & Daniel Berger over Lee Westwood &Matt Fitzpatrick (-150)
Jason Sobel: The two middle matches in Friday morning’s foursomes session feel the most predictable.
I really like Viktor Hovland and Paul Casey to beat Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa, which seems like a strong play at even-money, but if I’m only betting one match and looking for the biggest lock, I’m going with that third match.
Koepka and Berger have known each other forever, from their South Florida beginnings to Florida State to their professional ascendancy.
In foursomes, knowing your partner’s game is essential — it helps to know what type of shots to set him up with and where you can miss for him to have success. This should be a natural partnership.
This play is also as much of a fade on Westwood and Fitzpatrick. Neither is a great course fit for Whistling Straits, nor are they in terrific form.
You’ll have to pay up for the U.S. duo here, but it’ll be worth it.
Jon Rahm & Sergio Garcia over Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth (-105)
Chris Murphy: This won’t be a popular take, at least in the states, but I think the Spaniards are in a good spot to start the week with a point for Europe.
Rahm and Garcia were two of the hottest golfers on TOUR to close out last season, and I think their fit and ball striking will go a long way Friday morning in the first group off at the Ryder Cup.
I mentioned in my write-up in our best bets that I wasn’t crazy about Jordan Spieth this week around Whistling Straits, as he had been struggling to find his game down the stretch. This isn’t a format or course that will let you find something if he’s still searching, and it’s a big reason why I like the slight underdogs, and in-form Spanish duo, in this foursome matchup to kick off the week.
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Jon Rahm & Sergio Garcia over Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth (-105)
Matt Vincenzi: I love everything about the pairing of Rahm and Garcia.
Both golfers hit it very long and very straight, which I think is the key to winning matches at Whistling Straits this week. I believe Garcia is the key factor for the European team and in order for them to compete, he must be at his best. The pairing with Rahm should bring the best out of Garcia.
Spieth and Thomas both have a tendency to spray the ball when things start going sideways. I much prefer them in the four-ball format where they can free themselves up and afford to make a few mistakes.
I have an inkling that we will see the duo who is now the face of the American team yelling “fore right” a few too many times Friday morning.
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USA to win Day 1 Foursomes 2.5 to 1.5 (+550)
Shane McNichol: Picking an exact score to bet on is a delicate proposition, but at these odds there’s value in this market.
Though the Americans are favored in all four morning matches, no one expects them to run away with things in the first session. European captain Padraig Harrington has to think each of his four teams has a chance at a point or a half point, even his biggest underdogs, the all-English team of Matt Fitzpatrick and Lee Westwood.
Knowing that, this play jumps off the page, with a 3-1 win for either side having the same or shooter odds than this outcome. That’s due to the unlikeliness of a match halved after 18 holes, with only one match ending in a draw in Paris in 2018. Prior to that, however, we saw a foursomes match halved at Hazeltine in 2016 and two foursomes matches halved at Gleneagles in 2014.
The chances of 2.5 to 1.5 are certainly worth grabbing at +550 or higher.
