Respect and sportsmanship go without saying, but Paul McGinley knows “the edge” is what really makes the Ryder Cup.
The captain of Europe for next year’s matches at Gleneagles is seeing the course in tournament garb for the last time before the event itself at the Johnnie Walker Championship this week and makes much of his relationship with his opposite number, the eight-time major champion Tom Watson.
But while Watson is a boyhood hero and no-one admires the American more than McGinley, with the fair and sporting nature of the contest being a major factor in its incredible popularity, this Ryder Cup is not going to be all “pally-pally”.
The two captains’ dinner at Muirfield last month was suitably amicable, and the pair agreed many things including that a bit of dig was necessary.
“I came away thinking if there was any doubt about what I was up against, there’s none after that meeting,” said McGinley.
“He’s a straight shooter, a very hard man but not in a derogatory sense. We agreed that the Ryder Cup is going to be played with full integrity and a lot of respect among the players, but there’s also got to be that electricity and that edge between the two teams.
“You don’t want the Ryder Cup to become friendly and over-familiar. It’s all about passion and you’ve got a big, wounded animal in America over losing the last two by a point.
“We are really up against it to win again. And there’s no doubt that the American team will be enhanced and stronger with having Tom Watson as captain.”
McGinley thinks “disappointed is not the right word to use” about there being so few of the top names playing the Johnnie Walker this week, but he produced a sizeable carrot for those who have come to Perthshire.
“At the end of the day most of the top Europeans are playing the FedEx and that’s understandable,” he said.
“Most of our players are on the American Tour and this is one of the biggest events of the year. Historically there were a few players who had never played Celtic Manor, and very few had played Medinah. It doesn’t take players long to adapt.
“But there’s no doubt that the winner this week will set a marker. I’m very much a believer in horses for courses and guys who go back to places they enjoy and their game picks up.
“We’ve been at this venue 10 years now, guys have done well here in the past, and I’ll be watching very closely how they perform this week. It’s something I’ll look at when I make my three picks.”
The other factor close at hand is the Seve Trophy next month where McGinley has appointed Sam Torrance to captain Great Britain and Ireland and Jose Maria Olazabal to skipper the Continent of Europe.
“I’ve encouraged everyone to play, some have said they will but others can’t, and it’s understandable,” he said. “But one of the things I’m conscious of is rookies coming and this being a bridge to the Ryder Cup, which is why it’s great to have Jose and Sam.
“In my first Seve Trophy captaincy I had Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell on my team and they will vouch for how big a step it is to play professional team golf. And when they did play Ryder Cup, both of them had benefited hugely.
“I’m more concerned with younger guys coming through. I know what the Luke Donalds and Ian Poulters do, it’s not going to be hugely beneficial to them to play, although I’d love to see them do it. I’m really looking at it as a stepping stone.”
As for the Seve Trophy marking Sam and Olly’s cards for vice-captaincy in 2014, there’s plenty of time to make that decision.
“Everybody can read between the lines but I don’t know, Sam doesn’t know and neither does Jose,” added McGinley. “I won’t make that decision until the middle of next year. There’s a lot of hurdles to jump before then.”
The skipper will have a concerted look at the PGA Centenary Course and talk with Gleneagles Golf Estates manager Scott Fenwick about the set-up for the matches, which is very much part of the home advantage for Europe.
“That’s why it’s so important that the captain is still playing in tournament golf here,” he said. “I will see how it plays and what players it suits, what the choices are for pins and areas where you might want to tailor rough or a fairway.”
McGinley also unveiled his own four charities which will benefit from activities during his championship, in addition to the three local causes already announced; The Friends of St Margaret’s Hospital, Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross Disability Sport and the Scottish family charity Quarriers.
The captain’s causes are the Amber, a charity helping young homeless people, the cancer charity CLIC Sargent, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Tour Players Foundation.