All Tom Watson wants is a Gleneagles win

Tom Watson celebrated his 65th birthday last Thursday.

He promptly asked for a belated birthday gift an American Ryder Cup victory to be delivered at Gleneagles three weeks today!

The United States Captain finally revealed his hand after months of keeping his cards close to his chest with his wildcard picks Hunter Mahan, Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley.

Those choices confirmed the view Watson first aired back in April.

He said: “When I make my Captain’s picks, I’m looking for the guy who can make the five-footer to win or tie a match. That’s what I’m looking for players with the guts to do that.”

Last Sunday Chris Kirk had an eight-footer for a birdie at the final hole of the Deutsche Bank Classic in New Jersey that would have necessitated Billy Horschell, playing behind him, making an eagle to force a play-off.

Kirk’s putt never even looked at the hole. Horschell ‘choked’ anyway, but to nobody’s surprise Kirk was overlooked by Watson on Monday with his captain’s picks, even though he is No 1 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Steely-eyed with an almost grim face, Watson justified his selections the following morning in New York, and confirmed the bad memories of Medinah have not gone away.

“This team is comprised of 12 men, who to a T understand what happened in 2012,” he said tersely.

“They don’t want that feeling again. So they are going over to Scotland with one purpose in mind and that is not to have that 2012 feeling on the final day at Gleneagles. You have to claw and scratch, do everything possible to get it done.

“My job is to talk to them from my perspective of being a Captain of a US Ryder Cup team before, and then as a player. Ray Floyd is the same way.

“Steve Stricker and Andy North will talk to them as players to keep the nerves out to a certain degree. But I’m confident this team is going to be great.”

Watson is clearly banking on his pairings of Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson along with Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley to propel the Americans into an invincible position.

He knows the value of foursomes’ chemistry, having had a 100% record with partner Jack Nicklaus in four matches.

In the last two Ryder Cups, the United States have been favourites on paper, and they justified that favouritism by winning the overall sessions, one of which was shortened at Celtic Manor in 2010.

In those nine sessions played, the Americans won or tied seven of them.

So Watson is clearly aiming to put his strengths in Foursomes, and not repeat the mistakes made in the Singles at Medinah.

Watson said: “I got a tremendous amount of satisfaction the last time I was captain at The Belfry in 1993, and I’ve already got at least as much from it this time.”