Ryder Cup captains Paul McGinley and Tom Watson will be extremely interested observers when the 10th Presidents Cup gets under way.
Although neither man will be present at Muirfield Village as Fred Couples’ United States side takes on the International team captained by Nick Price, Watson’s vice-captain Andy North will be there and McGinley will watch on television after play in the Seve Trophy finishes each day.
“I have Andy North there all week,” Watson said.
“He has been around these players a lot more than I have and he will be my eyes and ears. I don’t think it’s my place to be there. I will be watching with great interest to see who is playing with whom.
“Right now I don’t have any teams that I’ve already made up in my mind about who is going to play with whom (at Gleneagles).”
McGinley will also be keen to see what pairings Couples comes up with, adding: “A big mark in the sand for me is the Presidents Cup. It has served the Americans particularly well in terms of forming partnerships.
“I think Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson who won all three of their matches together in the Ryder Cup at Medinah last year has come out of that, no doubt about it. It will be interesting to see what is done with Jordan Spieth, what he will do with Tiger (Woods).”
The United States has dominated the competition since it started in 1994, winning seven times and losing just once, while the 2003 contest ended in a controversial 17-17 tie in South Africa.