Ryder Cup odds are all the rage in the golf betting world, with the international competition opening Friday at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. But it’s not all about which team lifts the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
The Ryder Cup prop bets market is plentiful, including head-to-head props for most points won, pitting Americans against Europeans in player matchups.
US team captain Steve Stricker and Europe captain Padraig Harrington won’t announce Friday’s initial pairings until later Thursday. But the markets are on the board, so let’s immerse ourselves in odds on Ryder Cup prop betting.
All odds, courtesy of DraftKings, as of 5 p.m. ET Sept. 22.
Ryder Cup Matchup Prop Bets
Most Weekend Points: Jon Rahm Vs Justin Thomas
Current odds: Rahm -110 / Thomas -110
Ryder Cup records: Rahm 1-2 (1-0 singles, 0-2 foursomes, 0-0 four-ball); Thomas 4-1 (1-0 singles, 2-0 foursomes, 1-1 four-ball)
There’s a little Ryder Cup history here, with Thomas/Jordan Spieth beating Rahm/Ian Poulter 3 and 1 in four-ball play in 2018. That was Rahm’s first Ryder Cup, and he emerged with just a single point that week.
But he’s since gone on to become one of the world’s best and most clutch golfers. Since 2019, he’s got seven top-10 finishes in majors, winning the U.S. Open in June and overtaking Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world rankings.
Thomas was outstanding from 2017-20, winning the 2017 PGA Championship and posting five top-10 efforts in majors. But he finished outside the top 20 in all four 2021 majors. Still, on the 2021 PGA Tour, Thomas was sixth in scoring average (69.77) and one-putt rate (43.1%).
Rahm rightly was first in PGA Tour scoring (69.3), but 106th in one-putt rate (39.5%), about his only shortcoming. That could be a key factor in alternate-shot foursome play.
INTERESTING PROP ALERT: DraftKings has Rahm and Thomas 1-2 to rack up the most individual points this weekend, at +700 and +800 respectively.
Most Weekend Points: Xander Schauffele Vs Rory McIlroy
Current odds: Schauffele -110 / McIlroy -110
Ryder Cup records: Schauffele 0-0-0 (first appearance); McIlroy 11-9-4 (2-2-1 singes, 5-4-1 foursomes, 4-3-2 four-ball)
McIlroy has 24 Ryder Cup matches to his credit, to go with four major titles. Schauffele joked that his Ryder Cup experience is limited to watching on TV. So this prop wouldn’t seem to be an apples-to-apples comparison. But over the past two years, Schauffele has more top-five and top-10 major finishes than McIlroy, and he’s No. 5 to McIlroy’s No. 13 in the world rankings.
That said, McIlroy has a bundle of foursome and four-ball Ryder Cup experience, and he’s almost certain to play all three days this weekend, perhaps the max five matches – two Friday, two Saturday, and obviously in Sunday’s singles. And McIlroy is a valuable asset in alternate shot formats, ranking second on the 2021 PGA Tour in driving distance (319.3 yards) and ninth in one-putt percentage (42.7%).
INTERESTING PROP ALERT: DraftKings offers a prop for top-scoring Ryder Cup rookie, and at +350, Schauffele has the shortest odds for tallying the most weekend points.
Most Weekend Points: Dustin Johnson Vs Sergio Garcia
Current odds: Johnson -140 / Garcia +115
Ryder Cup records: Johnson 7-9 (3-1-1 singles, 1-3-0 foursomes, 3-5 four-ball); Garcia 22-12-7 (4-4-1 singles, 10-4-3 foursomes, 8-4-3 four-ball)
Garcia has played in 41 Ryder Cup matches, the most of any player competing this weekend. But he’s an underdog on this prop, mainly because Johnson is ranked No. 2 in the world and Garcia 41st.
But the Ryder Cup is a different animal. Garcia was solid in Europe’s 2018 victory, winning three of his four matches, while Johnson got a Day 1 four-ball win paired with Rickie Fowler, then went 0-4 the rest of the way.
In 2021, Johnson ranked second in scoring (69.6) to Garcia’s 38th (70.4). The two were closer in driving distance, with Johnson seventh (312.9 yards) and Garcia 16th (309.4). But Sergio ranked 11th in greens in regulation (70.1%) to Johnson’s 79th (66.7%).
INTERESTING PROP ALERT: DraftKings has a prop for which captain’s pick will score the most points this weekend. Garcia is third at +650, behind co-first choices Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth (+350).
Most Weekend Points: Patrick Cantlay Vs Viktor Hovland
Current odds: Cantlay -140 / Hovland +115
Ryder Cup records: First appearance for both
This should be an interesting matchup since neither player has Ryder Cup experience. And these two might even get paired against each other a time or two this weekend, given their under-30 ages and similar playing attributes.
In World Golf Championship match-play events over the past four seasons, Cantlay posted three top-25 finishes. Hovland, meanwhile, finished no higher than 42nd in a WGC match-play tourney.
On the 2021 PGA Tour, Cantlay was fifth in scoring average (69.7) and 10th in greens in regulation (70.2%). Hovland averaged an almost equally solid 69.9 strokes per round (ninth).
INTERESTING PROP ALERT: Cantlay is the +700 co-third choice on DraftKings’ prop of US player to score the most points. Hovland is the +600 third choice to lead Europe in points.
Most Weekend Points: Collin Morikawa Vs Paul Casey
Current odds: Morikawa -110 / Casey -110
Ryder Cup records: Morikawa 0-0-0 (first appearance); Casey 4-3-5 (1-1-2 singles, 1-1 foursomes, 2-1-3 four-ball)
This is a juicy Age vs. Experience prop on the Ryder Cup odds board. Casey has been an elite golfer since 2004, with 12 top-10 finishes in majors. Conversely, the 24-year-old Morikawa was a virtual unknown before his PGA Championship victory in 2020, but he’s now globally recognizable after winning this year’s Open Championship.
Morikawa is No. 3 in the world rankings, while Casey is 22nd, but the 2021 PGA Tour scoring stats show these two are mirror images. Morikawa averaged 70.109 and Casey 70.176, a razor-thin differential of 0.067 strokes per round.
INTERESTING PROP ALERT: FanDuel favors the U.S. contingent (+100) to win Friday’s Four-Ball competition over Europe (+210). However, if you feel there’s potential for a 2-2 draw, you can get +280 on the two sides halving the matches.
