Ryder Cup 2014: Complete Guide to the Tournament at Gleneagles

One of the best sporting events in the world will be in full swing on Friday as the 2014 Ryder Cup gets underway.

The 40th edition of the Ryder Cup will be taking place in Scotland at Gleneagles, a historic course that will provide a gorgeous backdrop to the drama playing out between Team USA and Team Europe.

Team USA is the underdog this year but is bound and determined to get redemption after Europe won the last two times. It's going to need young players like Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler to shine and veterans such as Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk to lead the way. 

Meanwhile, Europe will be led by Rory McIlroy, the best golfer in the world, and Martin Kaymer, who clinched the Cup for Europe in 2012 and won the U.S. Open this year.

Here's everything you need to know to prepare for the most intense three days on the golfing calendar. 

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

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The Ryder Cup is a men's golf competition between Europe and the United States that takes place every other year. This is the 40th edition of the event, which began as a battle between the United States and Great Britain/Ireland but expanded to include players from the rest of the European continent in 1979.

The format has changed a lot throughout the years but has been pretty much the same since 1979. Currently, the Ryder Cup involves 28 matches, with each match taking place over 18 holes. There are three separate days of competition.

On Friday and Saturday, the morning session will be four-ball and the afternoons will be foursomes. Each session consists of four different matches between four players each, two from each team. In four-ball, all four golfers play their own ball and the player with the lowest score on each hole wins for his team. In foursomes, each team of two alternates who hits the ball, and the pair with the lowest score wins. 

On Sunday, 12 singles matches are contested. Each player can play a maximum of five matches. If Europe scores 14 points, it will retain the cup. Since the Americans are the challengers, they must score 14.5 points to win.

Europe has won five of the last six times the Ryder Cup has been contested, with the only exception being USA's dominant win at Valhalla in 2008. In 2012, Team USA seemed firmly in control in Medinah until the Europeans mounted a staggering comeback on the final day, winning 14.5 to 13.5 after Kaymer drowned the clinching putt. 

Schedule and Viewing Info

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You can stream all of the Ryder Cup action on RyderCup.com and will also have access to wall-to-wall coverage on your television. Just remember to set your alarm clocks!

Thursday, September 25

Opening ceremony

Golf Channel, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET

Friday, September 26

Foursomes and four-balls

Golf Channel, 2:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET

Saturday, September 27

Foursomes and four-balls

NBC, 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET

Sunday, September 28

Singles matches

NBC, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET

Need to Know About Gleneagles

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This is the first time that Gleneagles will be hosting the Ryder Cup, but the prestigious course is a natural fit for the historic competition. 

The Gleneagles Hotel was opened in 1924. It has been named the best golf resort in the world for the past three years and has three courses on the property in addition to the luxurious hotel.

For the Ryder Cup, all of the players on both teams will be staying in the hotel, and the actual event will take place on the PGA Centenary Course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1993. It is a par-72, 7,262-yard course, leaving it on the shorter side, and hosts the Johnnie Walker Championship, an event on the PGA European Tour. 

Meet Team USA

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Tom Watson (Captain): This is Watson's second time as Ryder Cup captain—his first was in 1993 in a victory for Team USA. He played on four Ryder Cup teams. 

Keegan Bradley: The 28-year-old Bradley is a captain's pick this year, thanks primarily to the amazing passion he brought to his 3-1-0 Ryder Cup debut back in 2012. The 2011 PGA Champion is currently ranked No. 26 in the world. 

Rickie Fowler: Fowler has been the most consistent man on the big stages this year, finishing in the top five in all four majors. The 25-year-old has played in one other Ryder Cup back in 2010 but has yet to win a match in the competition.

Jim Furyk: Furyk is a veteran who has been on every Ryder Cup team since 1997, going 9-17-4 in that span. Though he's never excelled in match play, his experience and steadiness could be key.

Zach Johnson: Johnson, 38, won the Masters back in 2007 and has played in three Ryder Cups with an impressive 6-4-1 record. He wasn't on the 2008 team that won, though, so he'll be hungry for his first taste of Ryder Cup glory.

Matt Kuchar: This is the 36-year-old's third straight Ryder Cup team. Though Kuchar is 3-2-2 in that span, he's still looking for his first outright singles win.

Hunter Mahan: A captain's pick, Mahan got in on the strength of his win at The Barclays to kick off the FedEx Cup playoffs. Mahan is looking to redeem himself from 2010, when Graeme McDowell clinched the Ryder Cup with a win over Mahan in singles.

Phil Mickelson: This is Lefty's 10th Ryder Cup bid, and he'll be looking to salvage a subpar season with a team triumph at Gleneagles. He's 14-18-6 in Ryder Cup play.

Patrick Reed: Reed is making his Ryder Cup debut. The 24-year-old won twice on the PGA Tour this year, both at the Humana Challenge and the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Webb Simpson: Simpson was the third captain's pick this year, despite the fact that he didn't win an event. He was on the 2012 team, though, going a respectable 2-2-0.

Jordan Spieth: The 21-year-old will be competing in his first Ryder Cup after a year that saw him finish tied for second at the Masters and ranked No. 13 in the world. 

Jimmy Walker: After a breakthrough season that saw him win three times early on, the 35-year-old Walker will also be making his Ryder Cup debut. 

Bubba Watson: The 2012 and 2014 Masters champion is the only American to win a major this year. He's been on the past two Ryder Cup teams and has amassed a 5-5-1 record in the competition. 

Meet Team Europe

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Paul McGinley (Captain): McGinley played on three Ryder Cup teams, and Team Europe came away with the victory each time. He even holed the winning putt back in 2002. This is his first time as the captain. 

Thomas Bjorn: The 43-year-old from Denmark has played on two Ryder Cup teams, both winning ones, but none since 2002. He's 3-2-1 in match play.

Jamie Donaldson: Donaldson is making his Ryder Cup debut after one of the best seasons of his career. The 38-year-old from Wales has said that becoming a father has made him a better golfer. 

Victor Dubuisson: It has been a breakthrough season for the 24-year-old from France, who finished in the top 10 at the British Open and the PGA Championship. Dubuisson is making his Ryder Cup debut and, as a well-known escape artist on the golf course, could make a huge impact. 

Stephen Gallacher: Gallacher is another player making his debut late in his career. The 39-year-old from Scotland was a captain's pick and certainly has the support of his hometown crowd as he experiences this career milestone. 

Sergio Garcia: Garcia has been on six Ryder Cup teams and has a staggering 16-8-4 record. The Spaniard will be looking to lead the team and capture his fourth Ryder Cup win. 

Martin Kaymer: This was a great year for the German, who won The Players Championship and the U.S. Open. The 29-year-old clinched Europe's win back in 2012 with a putt, and he'll be looking to give the team a similar boost this year. 

Graeme McDowell: The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland is on his fourth Ryder Cup team, and he has a respectable 5-5-2 record. Despite being dragged into a court case between his management firm and Rory McIlroy, McDowell wrote, via the BBC, that their relationship is stronger than ever and the team won't be impacted.

Rory McIlroy: Obviously McIlroy has had the year of his career, finishing with two majors and the No. 1 ranking. A Ryder Cup victory would be the cherry on top, though. He's 4-3-2 in his two previous Ryder Cups, both Team Europe victories. 

Ian Poulter: Poulter was a captain's pick, and his inclusion was a no-brainer—his passion spurred Europe on to the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, and he'll be hoping to inspire similar heroics this year. Now on his fifth team, the 38-year-old Englishman is a stellar 12-3-0 in the competition and has been a part of three Team Europe triumphs.

Justin Rose: It's been a great season for the 2013 U.S. Open champ, who is currently at No. 6 in the world rankings. The 34-year-old from England is on his third team, and he carries a 6-3-0 record.

Henrik Stenson: Stenson has been under the radar for much of the year, but the 38-year-old Swede had two top-five finishes at majors this year and is ranked No. 5 in the world. He's only been on two Ryder Cup teams, none since 2008, and has a 2-3-2 record.

Lee Westwood: This is Westwood's ninth Ryder Cup team, and he has an 18-13-6 record. His veteran leadership and proven winning ways made the 41-year-old Brit a captain's pick this year. 

Top Storylines

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Who Will Be the Hero? 

Every two years a new Ryder Cup hero is born. Someone—usually the last man you would expect—comes up with a shot that nobody should make under pressure to clinch the win for his team. Four years ago it was McDowell, two years ago it was Kaymer. Who will step up this year? All 24 men in the competition have to be ready if the opportunity presents itself. 

Can the Americans Get Redemption? 

Team Europe has dominated the Ryder Cup recently, winning seven of the last 10 competitions. The defeat in 2012 at Medinah has particularly haunted Team USA after it lost a huge lead on the final day. 

"I made it very clear to them," captain Tom Watson said, as reported by Cameron Morfit of Golf Magazine. "This trip is a redemption trip. Those players who played on that team—[seven] of them are on this team—it’s time to make amends. It’s a motivation."

How Will the Rookies React? 

Overall, there are six Ryder Cup rookies in action this year: Spieth, Walker and Reed for Team USA and Donaldson, Dubuisson and Gallacher for the Europeans.

As Johnny Miller said (via Randal Mell of Golf Channel), the entire Ryder Cup could hinge on the rookies:

"

Three rookies could make or break the U.S. team, ... There are guys that could be magical, like a Larry Nelson when he first went in the Ryder Cup, or a Lanny Wadkins.

I think it's these young guys, including Rickie Fowler, maybe those four guys might be the difference versus the veterans. Could be the same thing for Europe. That's just the way I look at it. I don't want to put pressure on Spieth and Reed and Walker, but I think it's really important what they do, really important. And I'd play them right away.

"

Will the Captains Regret Their Picks?

There were three captain's picks for each team this year, and, as always, those picks have been scrutinized and questioned since they were made. That won't go away this week.

For Team Europe, McGinley picked Poulter, Westwood and Gallacher, while leaving former No. 1 Luke Donaldson, who has tons of Ryder Cup victories under his belt but had been in poor form lately, off the team. Watson made his picks before the FedEx Cup playoffs were over, thus picking Bradley, Simpson and Mahan over the winner of the FedEx Cup, Billy Horschel. 

We'll see this weekend who was a genius and who was a fool.  

Predictions

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Somebody Will Have a Meltdown, Likely Bubba Watson 

The emotions of the Ryder Cup are enough to send even the calmest players into a tizzy, and, well, Watson is not known for his serenity. The two-time Masters champion made headlines for his meltdown at the PGA Championship this year, and while he apologized and said he'd do better, his lack of form lately will lead to some frustrating moments in this high-pressure competition. Get ready to hear Bubba go off.

Rory McIlroy Will Be on Time

Two years ago at Medinah, McIlroy mixed up the time zones and ended up almost missing his singles play against Bradley on the final day. You have to think that Captain McGinley will be setting McIlroy's alarm clocks (that plural is on purpose) himself this week.

Dubuisson Will Impress

Expect the 24-year-old Frenchman to be the most impressive rookie on either team and really make a name for himself at Gleneagles. After all, he was a revelation at the WGC Match Play event earlier this year, narrowly losing to Jason Day, so he clearly thrives in the one-on-one format. 

Team USA Will Get the Upset

While the European team is top-heavy, with four of the Top Five players in the event and three of the four majors this season in their possession, Team USA actually has more depth. Plus, underdogs tend to do well in the Ryder Cup, so it's time for the Americans to embrace that role and get ready to silence the Scottish crowd.