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Today is the start of Ryder Cup 2010 and I am willing to bet that it will be another exciting set of matches.  

I am also willing to bet that Europe will beat the Americans, and beat them rather soundly.

The Ryder Cup is one of the highlights of professional golf, perhaps the biggest of them all.  

As viewers, we all await the biennial matches with great interest.  

What is always intriguing is that these players, all of whom are at the very top of world class golf, play not for money but for pride.  

That is exactly as it should be — these matches should always only be about pride, not money, at least at the player level.

The Ryder Cup matches mean the world to virtually every single professional golfer who gets the nod to play in the Ryder Cup.  The honour of playing for their country and winning a point for their flag really gets their attention.  

As a result, the tension can be felt right through the television screen which makes great viewing.

The one exception to this has been Tiger who, despite his brilliant individual career, does not have a particularly good Ryder Cup record.  

He has always seemed a bit indifferent when playing team golf and his results have not lived up to his high standards.  However, I think that is all about to change.

Tiger has had a rough last twelve months or so.  

Since Thanksgiving 2009, Tiger has been through some pretty tough times.  

Divorce and a different relationship with his children will both have taken their toll on Tiger and, by extension, on his game.  

However, while Tiger will still have much adjusting to do, most of that transition should now be in place and Tiger can start to reemerge as a golfer.  

I think this Ryder Cup session will be for Tiger as the Solheim Cup was for Michelle Wie, a sort of coming out opportunity.  

Both Tiger and Michelle are seen to be different than their peers when really they are not.  

Michelle has grown by leaps and bounds since the Solheim Cup and I believe the Ryder Cup will enable Tiger to reemerge as the world’s top golfer once again, this time with a human element attached to his persona.

Despite that, I am confident that Europe will thrash the Americans, and thrash them proper.  

There are many exciting possibilities for matches, which will again ensure a thrilling viewing opportunity for all of us armchair quarterbacks.  

Could we stand the excitement of Westwood versus Woods, or McIlroy versus Fowler, in the singles?  

What about McDowell versus Johnson in a sort of U.S. Open rematch?  

The permutations for the fourball and foursome matches are more involved but equally as exciting.

When the dust settles at Celtic Manor on Sunday evening, I have no doubt that the Europeans will be celebrating victory over their American colleagues, by a score of 16 to 12. n

Today is the start of Ryder Cup 2010 and I am willing to bet that it will be another exciting set of matches.  

I am also willing to bet that Europe will beat the Americans, and beat them rather soundly.

The Ryder Cup is one of the highlights of professional golf, perhaps the biggest of them all.  

As viewers, we all await the biennial matches with great interest.  

What is always intriguing is that these players, all of whom are at the very top of world class golf, play not for money but for pride.  

That is exactly as it should be — these matches should always only be about pride, not money, at least at the player level.

The Ryder Cup matches mean the world to virtually every single professional golfer who gets the nod to play in the Ryder Cup.  The honour of playing for their country and winning a point for their flag really gets their attention.  

As a result, the tension can be felt right through the television screen which makes great viewing.

The one exception to this has been Tiger who, despite his brilliant individual career, does not have a particularly good Ryder Cup record.  

He has always seemed a bit indifferent when playing team golf and his results have not lived up to his high standards.  However, I think that is all about to change.

Tiger has had a rough last twelve months or so.  

Since Thanksgiving 2009, Tiger has been through some pretty tough times.  

Divorce and a different relationship with his children will both have taken their toll on Tiger and, by extension, on his game.  

However, while Tiger will still have much adjusting to do, most of that transition should now be in place and Tiger can start to reemerge as a golfer.  

I think this Ryder Cup session will be for Tiger as the Solheim Cup was for Michelle Wie, a sort of coming out opportunity.  

Both Tiger and Michelle are seen to be different than their peers when really they are not. 

Michelle has grown by leaps and bounds since the Solheim Cup and I believe the Ryder Cup will enable Tiger to reemerge as the world’s top golfer once again, this time with a human element attached to his persona.

Despite that, I am confident that Europe will thrash the Americans, and thrash them proper.  

There are many exciting possibilities for matches, which will again ensure a thrilling viewing opportunity for all of us armchair quarterbacks.  

Could we stand the excitement of Westwood versus Woods, or McIlroy versus Fowler, in the singles?  

What about McDowell versus Johnson in a sort of U.S. Open rematch?  

The permutations for the fourball and foursome matches are more involved but equally as exciting.

When the dust settles at Celtic Manor on Sunday evening, I have no doubt that the Europeans will be celebrating victory over their American colleagues, by a score of 16 to 12. 

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