26th Sep 2016 | Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup Top Debutant: Ryan Moore
American Rookies average 2.1 points per Ryder Cup compared to 1.6 for the Europeans. That makes this a shoot-out between Moore and Koepka.
Davis Love III kept a wildcard pick up his sleeve so that if someone got hot during the Playoffs he could still make the team, thus avoiding the Billy Horschel debacle of 2014.
That honour went to Ryan Moore and having picked him it would be absurd if he didn’t feature much at Hazeltine. Moore’s hot streak began with victory at the John Deere Classic in August, since then has bagged three top-10s during the Playoffs including a defeat on extra holes at East Lake.
The 33-year-old is one of eight players making their Ryder Cup debuts but one of only two Americans along with Brooks Koepka.
Rookie performances 2008-2014
Recent history suggest American rookies have the edge in the Ryder Cup. They have featured in more matches (3.8 v 3.4) and earned more points per Ryder Cup (2.1 v 2.6). In a market with two Americans and six Europeans it should be a straight shoot-out between Ryan Moore and Brooks Koepka.
I’d have them at a similar price, with perhaps Moore the slight favourite given his recent exploits. The bookmakers have them the other way round and that is where the value lies at 6/1 (Skybet).
Odds correct at time of publishing: 09:09 26th Sep, 2016 but subject to change