GLENEAGLES, Scotland – The decisive match. The shot of his life. Jamie Donaldson will never forget his Ryder Cup debut.

The chance to clinch Europe’s third straight victory in golf’s biggest team event fell to a strapping, mild-mannered Welsh rookie who was nothing more than a journeyman pro only two years ago.

He didn’t let it pass.

Unaware he had already retained the cup for Europe on the previous hole, Donaldson hit a 9 iron from 146 yards to within 18 inches of the pin on No. 15 at Gleneagles on Sunday.

The crowd roared. Donaldson thrust his right arm up in the air and was slapped on the back by his captain. He didn’t need to make the tap-in – Europe had won again.

“This is the pinnacle,” said Donaldson, draped in a Welsh flag and surrounded by joyous teammates and family members by the side of the 15th green.

He guzzled down champagne and soaked in an atmosphere and experience he’d always dreamed of being part of.

Donaldson is a late developer in golf, winning his first tournament – the Irish Open in the summer of 2012 – at the age of 36. The following two years has seen him top a loaded field in Abu Dhabi at the start of 2013, crack the top 30 in the rankings and make regular appearances at the majors.

But making the Ryder Cup team, by winning the next-to-last qualifying event in the Czech Republic, sealed a career ambition.

“It was all he ever wanted,” his mother, Jacqui, told The Associated Press as she looked over at her son surrounded by reporters and camera crews on the 15th. “It’s what he has ever aimed for all his life.”

Donaldson, the seventh Welshman to play in the Ryder Cup, won two points in three matches with Lee Westwood over Friday and Saturday and was sent out in the 10th match in the singles.

Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer won three of the first six matches, Justin Rose had earned a half, but Europe still needed another half to retain the cup and a win to take it outright.

Step forward Donaldson.

Four up with five to play, Donaldson narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and swiped the ball away in disappointment. He walked off with a stern look on his face.

He didn’t know it yet but halving that hole kept the cup in Europe’s hands.

Donaldson split the fairway with his drive on No. 15, leaving him with perfect yardage for a wedge to the green.

“I knew the crowd was gathering,” said Donaldson. “I knew things were coming down to my game. I was just trying to win my point.

“And it was the shot of my life.”

The noise was deafening as Donaldson marched to the green. U.S. captain Tom Watson shook Donaldson’s hand and then European counterpart Paul McGinley’s.

The Ryder Cup was effectively won – but it still needed Bradley to officially concede a 4-and-3 victory, which he did when he saw how close Donaldson’s ball was to the hole.

Donaldson was mobbed by McIlroy, then Henrik Stenson and then a sea of media who battled for a sight of Europe’s match-winner.

“Oh Jamie, Jamie,” the crowd sang.

“It’s hard to describe how good it is,” Donaldson said. “There’s nothing else like it in golf. It’s just a total one-off. It’s just a huge, huge thing, and it’s just been amazing to be a part of it.”

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Europe added another chapter of Ryder Cup dominance on Sunday behind Rory McIlroy, two big rallies and a rookie who hit the shot of his life to give this week a finish it deserved.

Jamie Donaldson, unaware he already had done enough to retain the Ryder Cup, hit a 9-iron that settled 3 feet from the cup on the 15th hole. Keegan Bradley walked onto the green, saw Donaldson’s ball next to the hole, removed his cap and conceded the birdie.

And the celebration was on.

Europe won the Ryder Cup for the third straight time, and the eighth time in the last 10 tries.

“It came down to me to close it out, but it’s all about the team,” Donaldson said. “Everyone played their heart out to retain the Ryder Cup. And that’s what it’s all about.”

McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose made sure the Americans would not get their redemption from the meltdown at Medinah two years ago as the first team to blow a four-point lead at home.

McIlroy was 6-under par on his first six holes and trounced Rickie Fowler to set the tone. The Americans put plenty of red on the board early, just not for long. McDowell was 3-down after five holes and Rose was four behind after six holes. McDowell rallied to beat Jordan Spieth, while Rose earned a halve against Hunter Mahan.

Martin Kaymer, who holed the winning point at Medinah, put Europe on the cusp of victory when he chipped in for eagle on the 16th to beat Bubba Watson.

That set the stage for Donaldson.

“The shot of my life,” he called it.

Europe captain Paul McGinley, who spoke all week about a template for success, stood by the 15th green with the rest of the players who had finished their matches. Donaldson was mobbed by his teammates, another happy occasion for Europe.

Asked for the highlight of the week, McGinley turned to Donaldson and said, “When you look at a face like that.” He put both hands on Donaldson’s face and hugged him.

The Americans still can’t figure out this exhibition of team play.

They even brought back Tom Watson, at 65 the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history and the last American captain to win on European soil. Watson made a series of questionable moves during team play and the Americans didn’t have much hope on Sunday.

Watson attributed the loss to foursomes – Europe was unbeaten in both sessions and collected seven of the eight points – though McGinley wrote that off as a fluke. Asked what he would tell his team in a final meeting, Watson said, “You played your best, but it wasn’t enough. You’ve got to find out what it takes a little better.”

Watson sure didn’t find it.

Except for a victory at Valhalla behind captain Paul Azinger in 2008, the Americans haven’t solved this Ryder Cup puzzle.

And this one wasn’t particularly close.

Europe already was assured of at least 16 points with one match still on the course. It was the fourth time in the last seven Ryder Cup matches that Europe won by at least three points.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – The tee shots were in play, and Phil Mickelson strode down the first fairway in the Ryder Cup like he has done so many times before. He was in full uniform. He wore golf shoes. And he inserted earphones to listen to the radio coverage of the matches.

He wasn’t a player on Saturday. He was a cheerleader.

For the first time in 10 appearances at the Ryder Cup – the most of any American in history – Mickelson spent an entire day without hitting a single shot. U.S. captain Tom Watson sat him out in the morning, and then he chose not to play Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the afternoon.

The last time Mickelson played only two matches going into the final round was in 1995 at Oak Hill when he was a Ryder Cup rookie. Asked to comment as he walked down the fairway to watch, Mickelson said, “Whatever it takes to win.”

“I want our team to win, and whatever we have to do is all I care about,” he said.

When asked whose decision it was not to play, Mickelson smiled and kept walking.

Mickelson and Bradley rallied to take down Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia in the opening session of fourballs on Friday, but they lost badly in foursomes when Bradley couldn’t keep it in the short grass and Mickelson couldn’t make enough putts.

“They didn’t perform all that well yesterday afternoon,” Watson said. “They really wanted to go today. These are the best pairings for alternate shot.”

Watson also benched Webb Simpson for all of Saturday. Simpson was his final captain’s pick who lobbied Watson through text message the morning he was chosen.

The decision backfired on Watson when he sent out Rickie Fowler and Ryder Cup rookie Jimmy Walker for a fourth straight match Saturday afternoon. They were the only Americans to go 36 holes both days. Walker, in particular, looked weary, and he even shanked a shot on the third hole from the fairway.

Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson made five birdies against no bogeys, a score that would have beaten anyone in foursomes. They were 4 up after six holes and sailed to a 5-and-4 victory.

“Jimmy Walker hit a shot that not many people in this media center would be proud of,” McDowell said. “I mean, that had to be tiredness. It had to be. I said to Victor, `Listen, let’s show these guys how energetic we are … and really try not to give them an inch.'”

Mickelson asked to play in foursomes on Friday and Watson agreed. Lefty asked to play on Saturday and Watson turned him down.

“I came back up to the clubhouse and walked to him and Keegan and Webb and said they would be sitting in the afternoon,” Watson said. “I expected exactly what Phil said to me. He said, `We can get it done.’ I said, `Well, the way this golf course sets up, the four teams I put out there give us the best chance.’ He lobbied again. He text me. He said, `Give us a chance.’ I had to tell him no.”

Mickelson and Bradley formed America’s best team two years ago at Medinah when they went 3-0, asking to sit out the final session to be fresh for singles. Both wound up losing their singles matches as Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit to win.

Mickelson, a five-time major champion, has not won a tournament since the British Open last summer at Muirfield, though he finished one shot behind McIlroy in the PGA Championship last month at Valhalla.

Bradley has gone more than two years without winning, and he had to rely on a captain’s pick to make this team. That means two of Watson’s three picks did not play a shot on Saturday. That might lead to even more second-guessing for the 65-year-old captain.

When asked if he regretted not playing Mickelson, Watson shot back, “No.”

Later, he was asked if he had any regrets at all, and whether he took into account that Fowler and Walker had gone all 18 holes and halved their previous three matches.

“When I look back on it, maybe playing the players too much would be one regret,” Watson said. “They got a little tired. And that certainly is something that I thought they could handle, and maybe I regret not understanding that they couldn’t handle it.”

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – The tee shots were in play, and Phil Mickelson strode down the first fairway in the Ryder Cup like he has done so many times before. He was in full uniform. He wore golf shoes. And he inserted earphones to listen to the radio coverage of the matches.

He wasn’t a player on Saturday. He was a cheerleader.

For the first time in 10 appearances at the Ryder Cup – the most of any American in history – Mickelson spent an entire day without hitting a single shot. U.S. captain Tom Watson sat him out in the morning, and then he chose not to play Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the afternoon.

The last time Mickelson played only two matches going into the final round was in 1995 at Oak Hill when he was a Ryder Cup rookie. Asked to comment as he walked down the fairway to watch, Mickelson said, “Whatever it takes to win.”

“I want our team to win, and whatever we have to do is all I care about,” he said.

When asked whose decision it was not to play, Mickelson smiled and kept walking.

Mickelson and Bradley rallied to take down Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia in the opening session of fourballs on Friday, but they lost badly in foursomes when Bradley couldn’t keep it in the short grass and Mickelson couldn’t make enough putts.

“They didn’t perform all that well yesterday afternoon,” Watson said. “They really wanted to go today. These are the best pairings for alternate shot.”

Watson also benched Webb Simpson for all of Saturday. Simpson was his final captain’s pick who lobbied Watson through text message the morning he was chosen.

The decision backfired on Watson when he sent out Rickie Fowler and Ryder Cup rookie Jimmy Walker for a fourth straight match Saturday afternoon. They were the only Americans to go 36 holes both days. Walker, in particular, looked weary, and he even shanked a shot on the third hole from the fairway.

Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson made five birdies against no bogeys, a score that would have beaten anyone in foursomes. They were 4 up after six holes and sailed to a 5-and-4 victory.

“Jimmy Walker hit a shot that not many people in this media center would be proud of,” McDowell said. “I mean, that had to be tiredness. It had to be. I said to Victor, `Listen, let’s show these guys how energetic we are … and really try not to give them an inch.'”

Mickelson asked to play in foursomes on Friday and Watson agreed. Lefty asked to play on Saturday and Watson turned him down.

“I came back up to the clubhouse and walked to him and Keegan and Webb and said they would be sitting in the afternoon,” Watson said. “I expected exactly what Phil said to me. He said, `We can get it done.’ I said, `Well, the way this golf course sets up, the four teams I put out there give us the best chance.’ He lobbied again. He text me. He said, `Give us a chance.’ I had to tell him no.”

Mickelson and Bradley formed America’s best team two years ago at Medinah when they went 3-0, asking to sit out the final session to be fresh for singles. Both wound up losing their singles matches as Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit to win.

Mickelson, a five-time major champion, has not won a tournament since the British Open last summer at Muirfield, though he finished one shot behind McIlroy in the PGA Championship last month at Valhalla.

Bradley has gone more than two years without winning, and he had to rely on a captain’s pick to make this team. That means two of Watson’s three picks did not play a shot on Saturday. That might lead to even more second-guessing for the 65-year-old captain.

When asked if he regretted not playing Mickelson, Watson shot back, “No.”

Later, he was asked if he had any regrets at all, and whether he took into account that Fowler and Walker had gone all 18 holes and halved their previous three matches.

“When I look back on it, maybe playing the players too much would be one regret,” Watson said. “They got a little tired. And that certainly is something that I thought they could handle, and maybe I regret not understanding that they couldn’t handle it.”

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Europe seized command of the Ryder Cup on Saturday, winning three foursomes matches and halving a fourth to extend its lead to 10-6 going into the final day’s singles.

For the second day in a row, Europe grabbed 3 1/2 points from the afternoon alternate-shot matches at Gleneagles.

The United States won 2 1/2 points in the morning fourballs to cut the lead to 6 1/2-5 1/2.

Twelve singles will be played on Sunday. Europe needs 14 points to retain the trophy and 14 1/2 to win it outright.

The United States led 10-6 two years ago at Medinah, but Europe pulled off a stunning comeback to win 14 1/2-13 1/2. That was branded the “Miracle of Medinah.” The Americans will need their own remarkable Sunday rally to steal the cup back.

Europe has won seven of the last nine Ryder Cups.

The scoreboard was dominated by European blue all afternoon.

Lee Westwood and rookie Jamie Donaldson got the ball rolling, beating Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar 2 and 1 in the first foursomes. After the Europeans took the lead for good at the ninth hole, Westwood made a short birdie putt at the 16th to put them 2-up.

Then, Graeme McDowell and French rookie Victor Dubuisson extended the lead to 8 1/2-5 1/2, beating Ricky Fowler and Jimmy Walker 5 and 4. Dubuisson has won both of his matches in a sensational debut, while Fowler remains without a win in his Ryder Cup career.

The third win of the afternoon came from Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia, who defeated Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan 3 and 2. It was the marquee duo’s first win in three matches after two halves.

“It’s nice to put that first win on the board,” McIlroy said.

In the final match, Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer halved with U.S. rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. With the Americans 1-up going to the final hole, Europe got up and down from a greenside bunker. Rose holed a 5-foot birdie putt to earn the half point.

Earlier, Reed lipped out a 2-footer on the 16th, then bent over with his hands on his knees in despair for several seconds. Reed was in the same bunker as Kaymer on No. 18 but had a bad lie and couldn’t hit the ball toward the hole. Spieth missed a potential match-winning putt from long range.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Henrik Stenson had different playing partners in all five of his team matches at the Ryder Cups in 2006 and `08.

He looks to have found a keeper at Gleneagles.

Stenson combined with close friend and neighbor Justin Rose on Friday to win two points for Europe on the first day of the 2014 Ryder Cup, helping the team secure a 5-3 overnight lead.

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia, ranked No. 1 and 3 in the world, were widely viewed as Europe’s powerhouse combination this week but now there’s a different duo for the Americans to worry about. Unsurprisingly, Rose and Stenson were paired together for Saturday’s morning fourballs, too, and have expressed a desire to play all five matches.

Rose’s reliability makes him the ideal partner, as Ian Poulter discovered in 2008 and ’12 when the English pair won four of their five matches. Poulter, the Ryder Cup’s ultimate showboater, garnered most of the headlines then but don’t underestimate the importance of Rose’s steady influence.

Stenson certainly doesn’t.

“He’s a solid player all around,” the Swede said. “He’s got a sharp short game … made some crucial putts and he was driving the ball nicely, as well. So if you’re out there with no real weaknesses, then it’s hard not to produce some good golf.

“I could have found worse partners, I promise you.”

Stenson and Rose were bumping fists all day on the PGA Centenary course as they rolled in a combined 11 birdies in a 5-and-4 win over Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson in the morning fourballs and a 2-and-1 victory over Hunter Mahan and Zach Johnson in the afternoon foursomes.

They exchanged a warm embrace on No. 17 after Rose’s birdie sealed their second point of the day under gloomy evening skies. It is a friendship born from living within 50 yards of each other on a street in Lake Nona, Orlando.

They have kids of a similar age that get on. Their caddies are friends. They travel to PGA Tour events together. Their games are pretty similar, too.

All in all, they are a natural fit – and it’s a combination that won’t be easily penetrated by Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar on Saturday morning.

“He stays focused the whole day, just like Ian does,” Rose said of Stenson. “He’s a partner you can rely on. If you miss a shot, you always feel like he’s there and he’s got your back, and I think that’s what you want from a partner.

“If you believe in their game, it makes a massive difference.”

It is the first time a European partnership has won both matches on the opening day of the Ryder Cup since Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington in 2004.

“They have a really good dynamic,” Europe captain Paul McGinley said. “These two guys are together for a particular reason. It’s based on my understanding of them as people as well as golfers.”

The modest Rose, who took his overall record across three Ryder Cups to 8-3-0, rejected talk that he was now Europe’s unofficial “team leader.”

But in three sessions, McGinley has twice put Rose and Stenson as Europe’s first pairing. The atmosphere was electric on the first tee Friday as the opening fourballs match got under way amid soccer-style chanting. Simpson skied a shot that traveled 190 yards, barely reaching the fairway. Watson found the rough, while Rose and Stenson found the middle of the fairway.

It was Rose’s first experience of playing at home in a Ryder Cup and he loved it.

“Just looking down the first fairway and seeing 10, 20 people deep from tee to green was just an amazing sight,” he said. “First morning, first shot, the anticipation, the crowd, the build-up, first tee on a Ryder Cup Friday morning, it’s just amazing.”

Rose was stung on his right thumb by a bee as he searched for his ball in a water hazard on No. 9. “It was a well-deserved sting because I hit a terrible shot,” he said.

As the Americans discovered, he didn’t hit many others.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – For the first time in eight years, Europe is ahead after the first full day of play at the Ryder Cup.

Europe grabbed a 5-3 lead after Friday’s two sessions at Gleneagles – even though big guns Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter contributed only half a point.

But it was an improbable half point that felt like a win, gave the home side a momentum boost and could prove decisive in the final outcome as Europe bids for its eighth victory in 10 Ryder Cups.

”We’ve seen in the Ryder Cups over the years how important momentum switches are and how it can really have a domino effect,” European captain Paul McGinley said. “So when the surge came from America at the end of the session this morning, for our guys to react as well as they did in all four matches, shows real strength of character.”

The last time the Europeans led after the opening day was at the K Club in Ireland in 2006. They went on to win 18 1/2-9 1/2. The Americans led after the first full day in each of the last three Ryder Cups.

Trailing the United States 2 1/2-1 1/2 after the morning fourballs, the Europeans won three of the alternate-shot matches in the afternoon. More dramatic was the late rally by McIlroy and Garcia, who came from two shots down with two to play to halve with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.

McIlroy made a 30-foot birdie putt at the 17th and Garcia hit a beautiful approach from the rough on the 18th to set up another birdie.

“That was probably as good as a win, to come back from where they were,” McGinley said.

The No. 1-ranked McIlroy and No. 3 Garcia had lost their fourballs match in the morning, beaten 1-up by Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley. Until the late comeback, it looked like McIlroy would become the first No. 1 player to lose two Ryder Cup matches on the same day since Tiger Woods in 2002.

“Sergio and I battled for all 36 holes out there today,” McIlroy said. “It was a long day for both of us, and just glad that we were able to contribute something to the cause today.”

He called the half-point a “mini-victory.”

“It definitely is a huge halve in terms of momentum for the European team going into tomorrow,” McIlroy said. “It was huge. For Sergio and I, it’s just nice to be able to walk away from today with at least something.”

The 3 1/2 points won in the afternoon set a European team record in Ryder Cup foursomes – beating the 3-point total achieved in five previous contests.

In the morning session, the Americans seemed to strike a big psychological blow by taking down McIlroy and Poulter.

In a stunning performance, 21-year-old Jordan Spieth and 24-year-old Patrick Reed – rookies who formed the youngest pairing in Ryder Cup history – beat Poulter and Scottish rookie Stephen Gallacher 5 and 4.

U.S. captain Tom Watson had singled out Poulter as the one player the Americans wanted to target – even more than McIlroy. Poulter had won seven consecutive Ryder Cup matches and was the catalyst of Europe’s remarkable comeback in Medinah two years ago. This was Poulter’s heaviest ever Cup defeat.

Watson left Spieth and Reed out of the afternoon session, a decision he knows will be second guessed.

“I thought at the time it was the best decision not to play them,” Watson said. “There were a variety of reasons but I won’t go into those. It was a decision that my vice captains and I made. … I take the blame for that.”

Watson said he told his team there is still plenty to play for. He portrays this weekend as a chance for redemption after the epic 2012 defeat in Medinah, where the Americans blew a 10-6 lead going into the final day.

“This is the second quarter of a football game,” Watson said.

The afternoon began with Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson pulling Europe level by beating Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar 2 up. Westwood, playing in his ninth Ryder Cup, enjoyed his role as mentor to the Welsh rookie.

“I love it, kind of watching somebody take to it like a duck to water,” he said.

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson won their second match of the day, beating Hunter Mahan and Zach Johnson 2 and 1.

Graeme McDowell and French rookie Victor Dubuisson secured the final point, defeating Mickelson and Bradley 3 and 2. It’s the first time Mickelson and Keegan have lost together in the Ryder Cup after four straight wins.

“Very fortunate to be playing alongside a player who I think really is Europe’s next superstar,” McDowell said of the 24-year-old Dubuisson, the youngest player on the team. “I really believe that. He was awesome today. He didn’t miss a shot.”

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – As if players don’t already face enough pressure in the Ryder Cup, the walk into golf’s most boisterous arena goes through a tunnel of time.

One side of the short tunnel is painted American red and celebrates past victories, with images of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Paul Azinger and Ben Hogan. The other side is European blue with a roll call of winners that feature Tony Jacklin and Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer.

Emerging from the tunnel, players immediately see blue bunting on a three-story hospitality suite with the words, “Where Legends are Forged.”

Take a breath.

They make their way to the first tee, where a U-shaped grandstand has 1,892 seats filled with fans who are chanting, singing and stomping.

This is no ordinary golf tournament.

“It’s like walking into a football stadium,” said Stephen Gallacher, who grew up near Gleneagles and has never seen the course looking like this. Not with fans 10-deep on both sides of the fairway, draped in flags of the European Union, the nine European countries represented, and yes, even the Stars & Stripes.

“That tunnel has got some iconic images through it, and you’ll hear the crowd, you’ll hear the noise,” Justin Rose said. “You really begin to sense that even on the practice range. The atmosphere really amps up. … I can only imagine that by the time you walk to the tee, you’re fully ready to go. There’s absolutely no doubt.”

And there was one more touch to add inspiration to the home team.

From the first tee, players can’t help but notice a message written across the back of the 50-foot grandstand behind the 18th green to the left. It’s a quote from Seve Ballesteros, forever the face of European golf in the Ryder Cup.

“As a player and captain, there are unforgettable moments when you are competing for the people of your continent.”

Four long days of speculation and anticipation give way to the most frenetic three days in golf, starting with a tee shot unlike any other.

“It’s definitely the most impressive first hole we play throughout our careers,” Sergio Garcia said. “That tee shot on the first is always different, the way they build it up and all the songs you hear and everything.”

It all unfolds onFriday morning when Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson go for a third straight victory in fourballs against Rose and Henrik Stenson.

Considering the last two Ryder Cups – both European victories – were decided by one point, every match matters.

Europe has won seven of the last nine times, and it has not lost on home soil since 1993 when Tom Watson was the American captain. Going back in time to change its fortunes, the U.S. team brought back Watson to lead the way. At 65, he is the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history.

Watson stuck with what has worked, and he threw in a few wrinkles. Bubba Watson and Simpson won both their fourballs matches at Medinah, wrapping up both of them on the 14th hole. Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson went 3-0 at Medinah, and they are the anchor match against Rory McIlroy and Garcia, Europe’s most powerful tandem.

“We’re looking to hand them their first defeat tomorrow morning,” McIlroy said.

The new wrinkle? Old Tom Watson created the youngest pairing in Ryder Cup history with 21-year-old Jordan Spieth and 24-year-old Patrick Reed going against Europe stalwart Ian Poulter and Gallacher, another rookie and the lone Scot in a Ryder Cup that has not been held in the home of golf since 1973.

“I would imagine for the rookies, it’s going to be a bit of a shock,” Lee Westwood said of the first tee. “It’s a bit of an intimidating atmosphere, but nothing they can’t handle.”

Watson has been preaching redemption from the Americans’ meltdown at Medinah, where they lost the largest lead ever by a home team. Europe captain Paul McGinley is talking about a template of success, even though his four teams on Friday morning are entirely new.

“The fun is only starting now,” McGinley said. “We relish the challenge.”

Adding to the fun are the final two matches.

Poulter is like a peacock, strutting around Gleneagles, eager as ever to show off his Ryder Cup feathers. He was singled out even ahead of McIlroy – a four-time major champion and golf’s No. 1 player – as the one guy Americans would love to knock off. Watson is sending out a pair of rookies against him who have nothing to lose.

“I told them today, `I’m going to throw you in the ocean without a life preserver. You’re on your own. You get out there and you get it done,'” Watson said.

As for the anchor match involving Mickelson and McIlroy? Watson compared that match with the “main event in the first round.”

“Now see what happens in the next 72 hours,” he said.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Two days after Phil Mickelson poked fun at Rory McIlroy, they face off in the Ryder Cup.

Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, undefeated as a team at Medinah, play the European powerhouse of McIlroy and Sergio Garcia in the opening session of fourballs on Friday at Gleneagles.

Mickelson took a playful jab at McIlroy when he said the best part of American unity is the players don’t “litigate against each other.” McIlroy has a court battle against his old management firm and the lawsuit now involves Graeme McDowell.

Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson will hit the opening shot in the better-ball format against Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson.

Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker go up against Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer; and Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed play Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter.

Pairings for the opening session of fourballs matches Friday at the Ryder Cup (all times EDT):

2:35 a.m. – Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, United States, vs. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, Europe.

2:50 a.m. – Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker, United States, vs. Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer, Europe.

3:05 a.m. – Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, United States, vs. Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter, Europe.

3:20 a.m. – Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson, United States, vs. Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy, Europe.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Phil Mickelson has played in the Ryder Cup more times than any American. His experience is such that recent captains have leaned on him for observations on everything from pairings to picks. That wasn’t the case with Tom Watson at the helm.

In the week leading up to Watson making his three wild-card picks, Mickelson was asked if the 65-year-old captain had reached out to him. The answer was no, without elaboration.

Then, as if to make a point, Mickelson reached into his pocket for his phone, glanced at it and replied, “Still no.”

Watson might not need any help to find a winning formula for the Ryder Cup. One reason the PGA of America took a chance on the oldest captain ever in the Ryder Cup was his history in the matches.

The Americans haven’t won on European soil since 1993, the last time Watson was the captain. He is adored in Scotland as much as any American golfer, having won the British Open four times on Scottish links. His three Senior British Open titles all were in Scotland.

In the four Ryder Cups that Watson played, only one was held in the United States.

One thing hasn’t changed. Watson approaches these matches with a singular focus.

“The European team is loaded,” Watson said. “But when the matches start at 7:35 on Friday morning, there’s going to be quality of play going on. We’ll just see who wins. I know our team is totally committed to bringing the cup back. I know that. And I’m going to do everything in my power to help them do that and set the stage for them.”

Even so, the generation gap creates a dynamic that brings an element of curiosity to this Ryder Cup. Only two players on his team – Mickelson and Jim Furyk – were playing on the PGA Tour when Watson won the last of his 39 titles in 1998.

Watson has not been at a Ryder Cup since he was captain, and he was slightly defensive Wednesday when asked a series of questions about whether that might hurt him.

“No,” he said flatly. “Because I’ve played in the Ryder Cup four times, and I’ve been a captain once. That’s experience.”

He also doesn’t buy into the notion that he can’t relate to a new generation of players, nine of whom were not even born when he won the first of his eight majors.

“I’ve answered that question before,” Watson said. “They know I’ve played in the Ryder Cup. They understand I’ve been a captain. And they know that I know what they’re doing. They have respect for me and I have the ultimate respect for them. We’re on the same page. We’re professional golfers. Doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you are.”

He certainly has the respect of European captain Paul McGinley, who referred to Watson as his “boyhood hero.” McGinley went to college in San Diego and worked on a practice range when the PGA Tour came to town. McGinley used to ask his friends to cover for him when Watson played a practice round so he could watch.

As a captain?

“I haven’t really been paying attention,” McGinley said. “In regards to what Tom is doing with the team, I don’t even know what groups he’s going out with. I just know he’s going to make some good decisions and he’s going to have a strong American team out there and we are going to be prepared for that.”

McGinley talks of a template that Europe has had for years.

The Americans have no such thing. They have won the Ryder Cup only twice since Watson last was captain – Brookline in 1999 when Justin Leonard made the “putt heard `round the world,” and 2008 with Paul Azinger at the helm at Valhalla.

Watson already raised questions with his picks, stating that he wanted the hot hands and then passing over Chris Kirk, who had won the Deutsche Bank Championship the day before the captain’s picks were chosen.

Will it matter who plays? Does it matter who is the captain?

“Bottom line is he’s a professional golfer with a resume that is awfully deep,” Zach Johnson said. “He’s got a lot of sage advice and wisdom that I think we can certainly dig into and maybe learn from. And then you compound that with the fact that we’re playing a country that he’s had some success in – to put it mildly – I think it’s terrific.”

Mickelson was asked how his own experience could help the Ryder Cup rookies, and he quickly deferred.

“I’ll try to do or say whatever I can,” Mickelson said. “But it’s captain Watson’s team. He’s the leader. It’s been 21 years since the last time we won on foreign soil and the last time it happened, he was the leader. It was also the last year before I started making the teams. So I’m very honored that I have the opportunity to play with him, play for him, and learn from him.”

And now, the Americans will find out if they can win under him again.