Piers Morgan bets Bill Clinton over Ryder Cup

US-based British talk show host Piers Morgan has bet Bill Clinton $100 that Europe is going to "hammer" the Americans and win the biennial Ryder Cup golf tournament at the weekend. Morgan, who interviewed the former US president on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, said he was confident of winning the bet, which was for charity. "The Europeans are going to hammer the Americans, so I just won $100 off Bill Clinton basically, that's what it boils down to," the former tabloid newspaper editor told celebrity news website TMZ. The 39th edition of golf's biggest team event gets under way at Chicago's Medinah Country Club on Friday, in what is being billed as a tight match. Europe narrowly won when the contest went down to the wire in the final singles match at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales two years ago, and need to score 14 points out of a possible 28 to retain the trophy. The United States must score 14 1/2 points to regain the trophy, which they last won in 2008 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. That victory, by a convincing 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 margin, was the first time the American side had won the trophy since 1999, and Europe have won four of the last five contests. Europe has the more experienced side this time round -- only one of its players is making his Ryder Cup debut -- but the American side, with four rookies in its ranks, is seen as being strong on the greens. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.