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The Ryder Cup is almost always the best non-major event of any golf season, and this year's should be no different. In fact, this tournament is often better than most of the majors in any given season. I'm not sure anything is going to top that Open Championship we got at Royal Troon from July, but if the 2016 Ryder Cup is able to do that, it's going to be an all-timer.

Let's take a look at this week's contest.

What: 2016 Ryder Cup | Where: Chaska, Minnesota | When: Sept. 30 - Oct. 2

How to watch (all times ET)

TV: Golf Channel (Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.) and NBC (Saturday from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12-6 p.m.)

Online: Featured matches daily -- 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Watch Live Here

Past winners

  • 2014: Europe
  • 2012: Europe
  • 2010: Europe
  • 2008: United States
  • 2006: Europe
  • 2004: Europe
  • 2002: Europe

It has been downright domination by the Europeans since the turn of the century. Two of the last three matches have been incredibly close, but the U.S. has still only been able to win one of the last seven and two of the last 10.


Picks to win

Kyle Porter (golf writer): United States 16-12. I'm not afraid of Europe's streak. I'm not afraid of Rory McIlroy. I'm not afraid that Jordan Spieth only has two top 10s on the PGA Tour since May. I'm not afraid that Bubba Watson as a vice captain could backfire. I'm not afraid that Davis Love III is talking a huge game. I'm not afraid of any of it. The U.S. is going to roll, and Patrick Reed is going to drink from the Ryder Cup while dressed in a bald eagle onesie on Sunday evening.

Robby Kalland (golf writer): United States 15-13. Europe at +190 is the right side for you wagerers out there, but if you think I'm going on record picking against the Americans, you're crazy. This team is really good -- maybe not the best ever -- but they're really good. It seems like they have better vibes and are looser than 2014 and this is a team ready to give the American fans a celebration on Sunday night.

Adam Silverstein (golf editor): United States 16.5-11.5. I don't necessarily like the -220 odds for the Americans, but it's the correct call. Like Kyle, the recent past does not matter much to me. I don't particularly care that Europe has won six of the last seven overall and two of the last three in the United States. Give me a red-white-and-blue-blooded Patrick Reed. Give me Dustin Johnson, who will probably shrug after a clutch eagle. Give me a motivated and confident American team that truly does have a better roster from top to bottom, recent major winners be damned.


Prop bets we love

Kyle Porter (golf writer)

  • U.S. to win by 7+ points (4-1): I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm just saying that 4-1 is a nice number and 17.5 to 10.5 is not completely out of the question.
  • Patrick Reed to lead U.S. in scoring (6-1): I'm here for all of this. He went 3-1-0 on foreign soil in 2014. Think about what he's going to do this week.
  • J.B. Holmes as the top U.S. captain's pick (3-1): Holmes is a dog. He went 2-0-1 in 2008 and could feast on some of that lesser competition from Europe.
  • Andy Sullivan to lead Europe in scoring (20-1): Who? Get to know the name because he might be the new Ian Poulter for Europe. Of all the rookies for Europe, he seems most likely to put on a real show at Hazeltine. I don't think he's going to lead Europe in scoring, but with Henrik Stenson hurt and everyone gunning for Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and McIlroy, you never know.

Robby Kalland (golf writer)

  • Patrick Reed as the top combined points scorer (11-1): I'm taking it a step further than Kyle and saying Reed tops everyone in points. This is what he lives for. He's gonna show up on Sunday and dust someone 5 & 4.
  • Rafael Cabrera Bello as the top European rookie (4-1): Cabrera Bello finished third at the WGC-Match Play this year during a really strong season and I feel like he could be a real sneaky thorn in the Americans side this week.
  • U.S. to win singles 7.5-4.5 (8-1): Historically, the Americans have been beasts in singles matches and have not been as good in the fourball and foursomes. If you have the U.S. winning, you kind of have to be on them in singles and at 8-1, them taking the singles competition by a healthy 3 point margin feels pretty good to me.
  • Ryan Moore as the top U.S. captain's pick (3-1): Moore is the hot hand and he was a beast as an amateur in match play format. I think he'll have a big week for the Americans and make Davis Love III look smart for making him the final pick.

Adam Silverstein (golf editor)

  • Overall tie (+1200): There have only been two Ryder Cup ties in history and none since 1989 (let's not talk about 2012), but no matter how confident I am in the Americans, I am not turning down these odds when you're talking about the best golfers in the world going head-to-head. We have multi-hole playoffs after four days of stroke play golf; we can certainly have a tie in the Ryder Cup. (This also gives me a chance to tell you how ridiculous it is that there could even be a tie in the Ryder Cup.)
  • Rafael Cabrera Bello as the top Spaniard (2/1): This is a real option, and again, I'm going with value here. In order for Cabrera Bello to win, he just needs to play better than one man, Sergio Garcia. Granted, Garcia is nails in the Ryder Cup, but he's also likely to face tougher competition than Cabrera Bello.
  • Ryan Moore as the top captain's pick (6/1): See Robby's pick of Moore above for the reasoning. I'm just going to double my winnings. The best European wildcard hasn't played since the Olympics. The next-best is Lee Westwood.
  • Rory McIlroy as top European player (7/2): There's no accounting for how juiced the Americans are going to be, so even though Rory's odds are nearly double for top combined points scorer, I'm playing it safe here. Look, McIlroy is on a roll. I'm going with the hot hand, just as I am with Moore. Picking Rory has really cost me during this 2015-16 golf season, but I'm giving it a go one more time.

Most valuable player

Kyle Porter (golf writer): Patrick Reed. If you have not been able to tell that I'm all in on Patrick Reed, then you just have not been paying attention. He's going to go 5-0-0, fly the team on his back out of Minnesota and run for president in November.

Robby Kalland (golf writer): Patrick Reed. He lives for this, he's going to be paired with Jordan Spieth (which bodes well for him in team play), and he's going to be a monster in his singles match.

Adam Silverstein (golf editor): Patrick Reed. He'll slip up here or there, but give me the most passionate guy on either side any day of the week. Hell, he can be the MVP even if he doesn't play the best out of the Americans.


Surprise prediction

Kyle Porter (golf writer): McIlroy posts a losing record. I know he was awesome at the Tour Championship, and his career has been historic. But if the putter goes cold it gets absolutely icy. Plus, he's bereft of two of his normal playing partners this time around (Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter).

Robby Kalland (golf writer): I noted it in the props section, but I'll say Moore has the second most points on the U.S. team behind Reed. Where Reed feeds off his fiery demeanor, Moore is not going to be rattled by the moment as a rookie and he knows, even though it's been awhile, that he has the match play chops to handle this.

Adam Silverstein (golf editor): Rickie Fowler leaves with a winning Ryder Cup record. Rickie really needs a win this year. Actually, to hit my prediction, he'll need a couple. Fowler brings a 0-1-2 record into the Ryder Cup, but I think he comes out of it with more career wins than losses. Lefty's got his back and there will be a great support system in place, even if he struggles early.