Betting.Betfair

One of the quirks of team matchplay is that there can be a substantial discrepancy between the odds of players whose fate is largely dependent on one another. If for instance, a pairing stays together throughout the foursomes and fourballs, they will begin the final day singles with identical points. There is precisely such a differential between the two players whose partnership is widely expected to form the backbone of Europe's bid - Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. Whereas Rory starts as 6.0 favourite to be top European scorer, his likely partner is an 10.0 chance, which must represent better value. Of the two, McDowell actually has a superior matchplay record, having starred on both previous appearances, famously holing the winning putt at Celtic Manor. Even if Jose Maria Olazabal...

Humans have always been a pattern-seeking breed, desperate to make deductions about the world around them. However, this thirst for explanation has led to some false steps throughout history (the Flat Earth Fan Club is all out of subscribers) which is why we have science to pick up the pieces of our own innate biases and misunderstandings. Unlike chemistry and physics, golf isn't a perfect science. Lazy theories get bandied around in the faint hope of penetrating an impenetrable game - and seldom are they more in evidence than during Ryder Cup week. Wildcard selection normally provides the hottest topic of debate, as hacks and commentators dissect the potential fault-lines in each captain's pick. But this year renewal of the biennial battle at Medinah has been remarkable only for its...