Bookies running scared of Europe for 2008

The utter dominance displayed by the European team at the 36th Ryder Cup has burnt the UK betting industry so badly that Ladbrokes are offering just 3/1 that Europe will complete their second hatrick in a row in 2012, making it six successive victories and achieving a feat that no European would have thought possible during the dark years of the 70s and 80s.

In fact, the 18 ½ - 9 ½ victory at The K Club - the second time in a row that the USA have been defeated by a record margin - has pushed the bookies to offer the shortest price in history for Europe to win the 2008 renewal at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, at odds of just 4/6. Meanwhile the USA are 6/4 to reverse their slump, with the draw at 9/1.

"With the European team unlikely to change a great deal over the next decade, we could well be looking at a period of sustained European dominance,? said David Williams of Ladbrokes.

?The Americans have looked more disjointed this year than ever before."

The European victory was a nightmare for the industry with confidence starting high and growing exponentially through the weekend.

"As far as monster bets go this year's Ryder Cup has been sensational" said Williams.

"We've seen more six figure bets this week than any other golf event. Unfortunately for us, as European confidence grew on Friday so did the loyalty of our biggest European punters. They cottoned on in the nick of time and smacked us for six all weekend. A £125,000 bet on Darren Clarke to win his singles match at 4/5 and another £125,000 on Henrik Stenson to do the same has cost us the best part of a quarter of a million."

Do you feel sorry for them? No, me neither.