Ryder Cup preview

The US and European Ryder Cup teams are already out at Gleneagles, one hour's drive north of Edinburgh, practising on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. But Jack Nicklaus is pretty much the only US golfer grabbing the headlines at the Ryder Cup at the moment.

Instead, all eyes are on Rory McIlroy, the 25-year-old Northern Irishman who this year has managed to win two of golf's four majors: the PGA Championship in August and a month before, the British Open in Liverpool, England. No wonder he showed up to practice yesterday wearing oversized aviator sunglasses. McIlroy is at the top of his game at the moment and seems ready to lead his team to victory.

If McIlroy is the star performer in Europe's 12-man Ryder Cup team, the second fiddle players aren't too bad either. Germany's Martin Kaymer, who won the US Open in June, is ranked 12th in the world at the moment and has now well and truly established himself as one of the world's top players.

Kaymer is excited about being involved in the event once again. "The whole continent celebrates or suffers with you. And there's only one thing that matters for us: we want to defend the trophy on home soil," said Germany's biggest golfing star to German news agency SID ahead of the 40th edition of the Ryder Cup.

Additionally, the European team has three players in the world top 10 rankings at the moment: Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose.

"I think we're slight favorites, but that's been the case before," said European team captain Paul McGinley. "If we are favorites, I think it's something we should embrace and not be afraid of. The guys have worked very hard to be in the position they are in."

A competition like no other

Held every two years, and alternating between Europe and the US, the Ryder Cup sees the two teams of golfing superstars battle it out in pairs and individually, in front of often very vocal crowds.

The scoring is pretty simple: over the course of 28 matches, 16 of which are played in pairs and 12 as one-on-one encounters, each team earns itself a point for a match won. Tied matches mean that each team gets half a point. The first team to get over 14 points first, takes home the cup. The winning team earns no prize money, just bragging rights, making the event almost unique in professional sport.

Last time the Ryder Cup took place, at the Medinah course in Illinois in 2012, Europe went into the last day trailing ten points to six. Out of the 12 points available on that Sunday, the Europeans ended up winning eight and a half points, while the US managed just 3 and a half. Martin Kaymer struck the putt that retained the cup for Europe.

"It's one of those things that you don't have a choice missing. It's not an option," said Kaymer the day before the fourball pairings for this year's event were announced.

"I wasn't afraid of failure," said the German of his victorious putt back in 2012, one that makes him one of five members of the European team - players, captains or vice captains - to have holed a winning putt at a Ryder Cup.

It was the biggest turnaround in 87 years of Ryder Cup history. Not surprisingly, since then, the 2012 Ryder Cup has been known as "The Miracle of Medinah" or "The Meltdown at Medinah," depending on which side of the Atlantic you play your golf.

"Many of the players who played back then are on this team too,” said US team captain Tom Watson. “I said to them, ‘It's time to make amends and to redeem yourselves for what happened in 2012.'"

"I think that's a motivation, rather than a negative thing," said Watson.

No Tiger, no chance?

Europe's favorites tag with the bookkeepers, is also certain to have been boosted by Tiger Woods' absence this year - the former world number one is suffering from an ongoing back injury. Although Woods has been out of form of late, he's often saved his best performances for the Ryder Cup.

US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson admits that Woods' injury is a blow to his team. But, ahead of the tournament, he said to journalists in Gleneagles that other players have shown that they too can combine well at the Ryder Cup.

"Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson have a very good chemistry, it's the same with Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson," he said. "That's shown in the past and you have to rely on those things. But it's also how they are playing at the moment too."

"There's no single factor that decides the result, it's a mixture of things," he said.

For Northern Ireland golfer Graeme McDowell, who is expected to partner Rory McIlroy in the foursome and fourball events, the favorites tag isn't an easy subject, it seems.

"We are all acutely aware that this is a big week," he said. "We know the US team are incredibly motivated to try to win here. We have to do our job and take care of business this week."

In the end, McDowell didn't need to worry about pairing up with Rory Mcllory as the fourball match pairings saw McIIlory joined with Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Germany's Martin Kaymer will play with Dane Thomas Bjorn, something Kaymer was pleased about.

"I get on really well with Thomas. He helped me a lot in my first Ryder Cup in 2010 and when I won the US Open, he was one of the first to call and congratulate me," said Kaymer after the draw.

The full fourball match pairings for Friday are below, with the first pair teeing off at 07:35 local time. The foursomes pairings will be announced after the fourball matches are finished.

Fourball match pairings:

Bubba Watson/Webb Simpson (USA) vs. Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson (Europe)
Rickie Fowler/Jimmy Walker (USA) vs. Thomas Bjorn/Martin Kaymer (Europe)
Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed (USA) vs. Stephen Gallacher/Ian Poulter (Europe)
Keegan Bradley/Phil Mickelson (USA) vs. Sergio Garcia/Rory McIlroy (Europe)