Europe's stats guru cracks joke after predicting exact Ryder Cup scoreline

European Ryder Cup vice-captain and stats guru Edoardo 'Dodo' Molinari joked it's "better to be lucky than good" after he predicted the exact score at Bethpage Black in New York. 

Luke Donald's men looked as though they were going to breeze to their first away victory since 2012 on Sunday, but they were on the receiving end of a shellacking in the singles. 

Keegan Bradley's men, led by stunning victories in the top matches, threatened the biggest upset in the history of the biennial contest. 

No side has ever managed to accumulate more than 8½ points in the singles, but the US matched that tally. However, they were on the receiving end of a two-point defeat. 

Captain Donald and his team explained "the blueprint" for a home and away victories in their hilarious press conference, with the Englishman explaining no detail is overlooked. 

Donald said he instructed the hotel staff where they were staying to change the bedsheets and even switch to a better smelling shampoo. He also ensured that no cracks of light got into the players' rooms so they could get a decent night's kip. 

In the words of The Wire's Lester Freamon: "All the pieces matter."

It cannot be understated just how important Molinari's role has been to Europe's victories in Rome and at Bethpage. 

He is widely regarded as Europe's secret weapon. 

Last September, he hopped on The Fried Egg's podcast where he outlined his role within the team. 

He was also asked for his score prediction. The Italian refused, but said he would send it via text and they could reveal it after the matches were concluded. 

Turns out, he was absolutely spot on. 

And so was GolfMagic, as we also correctly predicted the scoreline. 

Beneath the post on X, Molinari replied by saying: "It's better to be lucky than good."

What is Edoardo Molinari's role within Team Europe?

It was no surprise the elder Molinari was the first vice-captain to be retained by Donald. 

He was later joined by his brother Francesco, Thomas Bjorn, Jose Maria Olazabal and Alex Norn. 

Edoardo developed StatisticGolf during the pandemic and it has only got more detailed. 

Molinari leads a team that analyzes thousands of data points to determine the most effective player pairings for foursomes and fourballs. 

This includes assessing individual strengths, course suitability, and even psychological compatibility.

He has developed models simulating all potential pair combinations, considering factors like hole-by-hole performance and historical Ryder Cup data. 

This approach aims to maximize early momentum, as statistics show that winning the first hole and being ahead after three are crucial for success.

His team also evaluates course layouts, weather conditions and even crowd dynamics. 

Matthew Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland, Molinari previously said, were the first players to really "buy into" the approach.