( CNN ) -- It is always with a sense of great anticipation that I get ready for the thrilling spectacle that is golf 's Ryder Cup . To see it come `` home , '' not only to Scotland , where the game was first played , but to Gleneagles in particular , where the first `` international '' match was played between the best professionals of Great Britain and their U.S. counterparts 90 odd years ago , makes it all the more significant . It has the makings of a battle royal . Let 's hope it becomes one . We want this one going down to the wire , with memorable golfing moments , good gladiatorial combat and most of all , exemplary sportsmanship . A whiff of sulfur never goes astray in sporting combat , but let 's hope it does n't get out of hand . Nine Ryder Cups have been played since Tom Watson last captained America to victory at the Belfry in 1993 , and Team Europe has won seven of them . Given Europe 's strong record over the last two decades , the burning question is how will Team USA perform under the captaincy of the great Watson ? Before a competitive ball is struck , this is already becoming a battle of pure passion versus arch professionalism . The American setup is businesslike and has always has been . They do things by the book , dotting every `` i , '' crossing every `` t '' and clinically going about their business with ruthless efficiency . Ryder Cup veteran Jim Furyk embodies this very style . Like the winter sun , he 's brilliant but cold . The Europeans , on the other hand , play with a heart and passion that is very difficult to define . Every other year , they unite like a band of brothers . It 's a bonding exercise . Personal egos go out the window , while unity and a musketeer 's `` all for one , one for all '' mentality embodies the team dynamic . It 's visceral . Think of Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo -- usually arch rivals on the course -- hugging and crying in each other 's arms at Oak Hill in 1995 and you 'll know what I mean . Hard to explain , but it is there and it 's the fuel for the engine that is European team golf . This year 's captain Paul McGinley personifies that team dynamic . Never the greatest player , he was an achiever nonetheless and never afraid to dream big . Hewn from the heft and brawn of Gaelic football back in his native Ireland , McGinley is a team player through and through . From his earliest representative days as a golfing talent , his greatest experiences have been as part of a collective , playing for Leinster , and Ireland , and making the Walker Cup amateur side in 1991 . Winning the World Cup for Ireland in 1997 alongside Padraig Harrington exemplified that shared experience perfectly . Since becoming a Ryder Cup hero in his debut in 2002 , the Dubliner has not been part of a losing team , either as a player or vice-captain . But can he handle the `` favorites '' tag ? It 's going to be fascinating to see what the team will deliver for him . Conversely , Watson is a bona fide legend of the game who is also a teak-tough , battle-hardened competitor . At 65 , he still has the power to stop the game 's elites in their tracks when he starts hitting balls on any range . He is the most successful British Open champion of the modern era in golf and one of the greatest match-players of all time . He clearly loves the Ryder Cup and absolutely hates the way the matches have gone against Team USA over the last 19 years . Like any great gladiator , the losses annoy him beyond belief , hence his absolute desire to win this one back . The question is , however , whether he can fire up these boys in red , white and blue . Some of the team are young enough to be their captain 's grandsons -- will it be `` my way or the highway ? '' Can he go deep with his team in terms of connection or will it be tough love from the elder statesman ? This truly is a fascinating prospect , with so much at stake . In the end , it may only be a game . But in truth , it is in actual fact , much more important than that altogether . `` Olé '' or `` USA '' ? Let the games begin !
Ryder Cup begins at Gleneagles in Scotland on Friday . The two-yearly competition pits the best golfers from U.S. and Europe against each other . Team USA is out for revenge after losing the last two contests . Golf legend Tom Watson captains the American team .