European Ryder Cup star Danny Willett will face the wrath of Americans after his brother described them as a “baying mob of imbeciles.”
In the brother’s defence, he was right.
At the last Ryder Cup in America a bookmaking firm flew over 1,000 over-sized gobstoppers to silence the heckling of over-sized Americans.
They were around 75 per cent larger than the average gobstopper (because Americans are around 75 per cent larger than the average golf fan).
The US gallery is frequently America’s 13th man - I’ve already backed it to be top point-scorer – but the fans there can often go over the top.
Ryder Cup stalwart Colin Montgomerie came in for most abuse during his playing days and let it be known that the heckling put him off his game, though never off his dinner.
Monty, the only man in Europe with racing colours on his knife and fork, lambasted Willett’s brother, and then basted a lamb.
The Ryder Cup is more likely to turn nasty on American soil than on European soil, as indeed is Monty.
At Brookline in 1999, Americans famously invaded the green while Jose Maria Olazabal was still waiting to putt out. They apologised for the error - they meant to invade Iran.
European skipper Darren Clarke this week called in magician Dynamo to entertain his side, remembering how Monty used magic tricks when he was skipper – he made the buffet disappear.
I told my teacher on the first day of school that my dad was a magician and that he specialised in sawing people in half. She then asked me if I had any siblings. “Yes,” I said. “Two half-sisters and one half-brother.”
I’m not very good at magic. I can only do half a trick – that’s why I’m a member of the Magic Semi-Circle.
Europe conjured victory from the jaws of defeat at Medinah four years ago and Ladbrokes offer 5-1 for Clarke’s men to come from behind on the final day on Sunday to win.
It’s also 5-1 for a hole in one to be scored. My brother, a notorious cheat, got a hole in one yesterday against me – he wrote a ‘0’ on his scorecard.
The Yanks are hot favourites at 8-13 but they seem to have most of the players who have regualrly been beaten up by Europe so my dosh would on Dazza’s men at 9-4 if only I had any.
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ON A WINNER
BACK Rory McIlroy at 7-2 to be top European point-scorer.
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Here are some other selected Ryder Cup Golf betting odds:
Ryder Cup 2016 winner
USA 4/7
Tie 11/1
Europe 15/8
Top USA points scorer
Dustin Johnson 7/2
Jordan Spieth 4/1
Patrick Reed 6/1
Phil Mickelson 10/1
Rickie Fowler 10/1
Matt Kuchar 12/1
JB Holmes 14/1
Brooks Koepka 14/1
Ryan Moore 16/1
Brandt Snedeker 16/1
Jimmy Walker 18/1
Zach Johnson 20/1
Top European points scorer
Rory McIlroy 7/2
Justin Rose 5/1
Henrik Stenson 11/2
Sergio Garcia 6/1
Danny Willett 10/1
Martin Kaymer 12/1
Lee Westwood 12/1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 14/1
Rafael Cabrera-Bello 14/1
Thomas Pieters 16/1
Andy Sullivan 20/1
Chris Wood 25/1
Top Debutant points scorer
Brooks Koepka 4/1
Ryan Moore 9/2
Danny Willett 9/2
Matthew Fitzpatrick 6/1
Rafael Cabrera-Bello 6/1
Thomas Pieters 7/1
Andy Sullivan 8/1
Chris Wood 12/1
Specials
Europe to come from behind on Sunday and win 5/1
A hole-in-one to be scored 5/1
Any player to score 5 points 6/1
Europe to lead at end of Friday, Saturday and Sunday 7/1
USA to lose a four point lead on the Sunday 50/1
Rory McIlroy to card a hole-in-one 100/1
Europe to win next 5 Ryder Cups 100/1
Odds taken from Ladbrokes - subject to change.