Why Garcia is the bet over McIlroy for European Ryder Cup points

The Ryder Cup may be a team game, but when the competition tees off at Gleneagles at the end of September both Europe and USA will look for an in-form member of their collective around whom they can rally.

Paul McGinley’s European side have a lot of familiar names in their 12-man party, but not many of them are in particularly great form.

So who are the players Ladbrokes customers should be looking at in the top point-scorer markets?

Europe’s chosen dozen are well-versed in this competition – no player bar the three rookies has played less than two Ryder Cups – but their host of household names have generally struggled during the season.

Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood had to rely on their stellar previous records to secure captain’s picks and have just four top-five finishes between them. Their odds to be Europe’s leading scorers, at 6/1 and 12s respectively, should therefore be swerved.

Therefore on this occasion, it’s likely to be more profitable looking at two senior men at the skinnier end of the market.

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are the two in-form men for McGinley and are likely to play the majority of matches for the Irish skipper.

McIlroy has returned to his magnificent best with two major wins and a PGA Tour victory this season, along with 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts.

Unsurprisingly he’s the 4/1 favourite to collect the most European points, but it’s the man who hangs onto his coattails in the betting that gets our tip.

Garcia finished runner-up to McIlroy in two of his three wins this season and has nine top 10s in 15 appearances. It’s that form combined with a formidable Ryder Cup record that makes his 6/1 price the one to take.

The Spaniard has only ever lost eight of his 28 matches at the event and is the seventh most successful European in its history.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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