Jon Rahm Vs. Scottie Scheffler Is Must-See TV Sunday At 2023 Ryder Cup
This is my first Ryder Cup as a golf fan and bettor and I'm enthralled. The crowds at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy for the Ryder Cup are unlike your normal PGA Tour events.
Matt Fitzpatrick of Team Europe celebrates a putt in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Fans from all over Europe and America are there to passionately root for Team Europe and Team USA. The golfers pump up or gesture to the crowd after big putts. There's even been some drama with Jon Rahm vs. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Cantlay vs. Rory McIlroy.
JON RAHM FIRES BACK AFTER BROOKS KOEPKA’S ‘LIKE A CHILD’ COMMENT AS RYDER CUP GETS CHIPPY
HATS OFF TO PATRICK CANTLAY FOR SAVING USA ON DAY 2 OF RYDER CUP AS TEMPERS RUN HOT ON 18TH GREEN
But, the Ryder Cup has been fairly one-sided through the first two days. Team Europe enters the final day ahead of Team USA 10.5-5.5. The Europeans can win the cup by reaching 14.5 points so they only need to win four of the 12 matches scheduled Sunday.
Ryder Cup 2023 Sunday Singles
Jon Rahm (-115) > Scottie Scheffler, Tee Time: 5:35 a.m. ET
This is a Wrong Golfer Favored situation with Scheffler being -125 to beat Rahm at PointsBet. Per Data Golf, Rahm's +10.1 total Strokes Gained (SG) at the Ryder Cup is 2.4 SG better than the next closest golfer, which is teammate Viktor Hovland. Scheffler is -2.91 in total SG through Saturday.
Side note: That's what really frustrates me about Rahm not playing in Saturday's Four-Ball session. He's playing the best out of anyone in the field. Why is Rahm not playing in all five sessions? Before the Ryder Cup started, I bet Rahm to lead in points scored at +900.
Anyway, Rahm's intensity works in this match-play format. Furthermore, this is a Revenge Game for the Spaniard. Scheffler beat Rahm heads up in the 2021 Ryder Cup in Team USA's win on American soil.
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler shake hands after their Friday morning Foursomes match in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Finally, putting seems to be more important in these singles matches. Last season on Tour, Rahm was 37th in SG: Putting and Scheffler was 151st. Both are elite ball-strikers and good around-the-green. The Spaniard's putting will be the difference between him and the American.
BET 1.15 units (u) on Jon Rahm (-115) to beat Scottie Scheffler
Brooks Koepka (-125) > Ludvig Åberg, Tee Time: 6:47 a.m. ET
Don't get me wrong, I love Åberg and the Swede is going to be a top-10 golfer in the next couple of years. But, this price on Koepka is too good to pass up. Koepka is the reigning PGA Championship winner and a 5-time major champion.
Brooks Koepka plays his second shot on the 1st hole in his Saturday morning foursomes match in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Also, Åberg's iron-play is still a work in progress and iron-play is the most predictive stat in golf. Åberg has lost strokes with his irons in five of his seven tourneys since joining the PGA Tour this summer.
Since this is a gut-play, I'm only betting to win a half-unit. I just think Koepka will rise to the moment and Åberg will shrink.