The Longshot: Stellar European ladies prevail, now it's the men's turn

YOU wait a couple of years for an intriguing battle between the best golfers in the world in a team format, and then two come along at once.

The Solheim Cup will be back again next autumn (moving to even-numbered years) and if the action in Andalusia last weekend didn’t do enough to whet your appetite for the Ryder Cup that begins this Friday, were you even watching?

We tipped Leona Maguire to be the top scorer again in the ladies’ joust and you couldn’t say she let us down as she was picked to play in every round and accumulated three points over three days of intense battle that saw Europe retain the Waterford Crystal trophy when the overall tournament ended in a 14-14 draw for the first time in its history.

That hadn’t seemed likely after a 0-4 defeat in the opening foursomes last Friday (it’s 20/1 the US men match that score this Friday morning), but the steel shown by the Cavan woman and the imperious Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (who top scored with four wins from four matches) in front of her home fans was enough to see Europe hold on to their crown after an incredible see-sawing final hour on Sunday.

If the Ryder Cup can match that drama we are in for a real treat. And these team golf competitions only really intrigue if the contest is close, with one-sided action a real damp squib, even if the side you are cheering for are running away with it.

Luke Donald’s men are the 11/10 slight underdogs for the event teeing off just outside Rome (the next time it is on this continent it is being held less than 20 miles from my gaff, if anyone wants to pre-book a room), despite not losing on European soil in 30 years. A score of 19-9 two years ago at Whistling Straits saw a red romp, but despite the US team looking far stronger on paper, another annihilation is impossible to imagine in Italy (a 14-14 result that would see the US retain it is 12/1).

A US win by 1-3 points is 7/2, while Europe are 18/5 to scrape by with a similar margin.

Adrian Meronk probably still feels aggrieved not to have been picked, especially after winning on the Marco Simone track earlier this year, and the Pole could probably not be blamed for hoping for an away win.

Rookies Nicolai Hojgaard, Austrian Sepp Straka, and the supremely talented young Swede Ludwig Aberg were chosen ahead of him and the last (who has never even teed up at a Major, although Dane Hojgaard is actually six months younger) is just 4/1 to be the top debutant points scorer, behind Max Homa on 7/2.

Shane Lowry’s selection was deemed controversial by some, a consequence of a qualification period that began with victory in last year’s BMW PGA Championship and then sort of fizzled out. He gained three top 20s in this year's majors, so talk of a big slump is inaccurate.

There are reasons to be concerned about Lowry’s matchplay record though, as in all tournaments he’s won nine, lost 20 and halved three singles matches, and in January’s Hero Cup he lost all four matches.

The Offaly man is 12/5 to outscore McIlroy over the three days, but as he is likely to see less action than the Down man, the 11/2 on him being the top-scorer of Donald’s Wildcard selections offers better value.

Ireland’s performance revived a French connection

AN HOUR or so after Ireland had seen off the Springboks and been immediately installed as 3/1 joint-favourites with the hosts to lift the Webb Ellis trophy next month a message arrived from a Gallic acquaintance, a rugby journalist whom I’d shared a few armagnacs with into the wee hours in San Sebastián many years ago.

“L’opportunité est f***ing énorme, pour toi,” came the text.

A certain Corkonian who has blazed a trail through the European Cup as the coach of a French club team was being referenced (if you haven’t seen the video online yet, I don’t know why not).

My last serious dalliance with the French language came during the Junior Cert, so is much more “Franglais à la Del Boy” than even Mr O’Gara’s, who has had boots-on-the-ground opportunity to practise the tongue, while my own one-on-one interaction in the lingo franco is limited to holiday encounters in pubs and a teen penpal, whose tongue I would have liked to have got more acquainted with, judging by the one picture she sent, which had a special place on my bedroom locker for years.

Anyway, mon ami journalist had been in contact on and off over the subsequent years (usually on the morning of a Six Nations collision), although he had refused to communicate with me in English since I’d revealed to him that the Irish word for Frenchman was the same as that for a rat (telling him it was derived from “luch Francach” or “French mouse”, couldn’t assuage his disappointment in us).

“Je ne sais pas. Quoi de Boks’ kicks? C’est terrible!” was my immediate wary riposte.

“Tu n’es pas excité?” 

“Mais oui. Le crunch collision entre Les Bleus et ‘L’equipe de Nous’ dans le quart de finale improbable maintenant.” 

“C’est fortuit pour Les Verts.” 

"Nous victorieux dans le Six Nations, non?” 

“Oui, sur le terrain Francais, nous vous martèlerions.” 

“Un moment, permettez-moi de vérifier le sens de ‘martèlerions’.” 

“...” 

“Sacré bleu! (I usually try not to use such anachronistic Frenchisms, but I was now fuming — by which I don’t mean smoking). Pardon moi, je pense qu’on pulvérise Les Blues meme sur le Champs Élysées!” 

“Es-tu une imbecile.” 

"Moi! Imbecile! Vous étes un cretin.” 

“Voulez vous ici et parle de ca?"

“Non probléme.” 

“Bonne chance. Tu es buffoon.” 

“Excusez-moi, parler encore un more temps, et je vais biff tu visage.” 

“Mon visage?” 

“Oui.” 

“Parler plus, et tu dents tranformer dans bonbons! Je vais mangle ta mandible a la Antoine Dupont!” 

“Est ce une menace?” 

“Au contraire mon frere, une promesse.” 

“Robert, réfrigrez vos jets.” 

“Vous avez commencé insultes combustible.” 

"Tu as perdu la tête, plus rapide que Marie Antoinette.” 

“D’accord, d’accord. Un armistice possible?” 

“Bien sur.” 

“Ah. Je suis desolé. Un petit contretemps, non?"

“Oui. Laisse tomber.” 

“Il faut enterrer la hache de guerre... aussi, un voyage ta maison á Biarritz est possible au printemps toujours?” 

“Non. C’est peu probable.” 

Ah. Je suis une baguette!

Who will set the pace at Cheltenham?

CHELTENHAM is usually a few furlongs from our minds this time of the year, however there is some action at the Cotswolds this week in the form of six legs rather than four with the snooker table taking priority.

Ryan Day was the victor at the 2022 British Open (and is 40/1 to retain that title), an event that this year sees Ronnie O’Sullivan a non-runner again, although his namesake from London, Sean, does take part, albeit he got a tough draw and played the defending champ yesterday in the opening round.

The action continues today with Ken Doherty and Fergal O’Brien both representing us at a venue where we normally gain bragging rights come March, but both are offered at astronomical odds to regain former glories.

Judd Trump narrowly missed out on victory at the European Masters and is rated the 6/1 favourite, and the proximity of this event to his Bristol residence may provide him with a home advantage.

World champ Luca Brecel (22/1) got a tough draw with Ding Junhui (28/1) in the first round yesterday, so one of the more fancied challengers will have been dumped out already.

John Higgins was the 10/1 second favourite and he will likely have overcome longshot Long Zehuang (famous for his long pots) yesterday, however his tendency to stumble in crucial matches was evident when he lost 6-5 to Ronnie in the quarters in Shanghai, despite holding a 5-2 lead. He also has seven losses in his last eight ranking finals.

Fan Zhengyi (50/1) won the European Masters last year and defeated Mark Allen at the Shanghai Masters before exiting in the quarter-finals against Neil Robertson (10/1). He has a winnable first-round match-up against the 95th-ranked player Ross Muir.

However, it is hard to ignore the World champ at odds of 22/1, which admittedly will have probably shortened should he have overcome Ding.

The Bet

SCOTTIE Scheffler is 15/2 to be the overall top man, but considering the premium put on putting in the white heat of matchplay, it is worth swerving the Texan. McIlroy is next to be the most dominant player at 8/1. We might revisit some odds on Friday (play gets underway before dawn our time). Another Spaniard in John Rahm to be the heaviest scorer at 12/1 is a decent shout.