What Phil Mickelson Must Do to Lead Team USA to Victory at 2014 Ryder Cup

The 2014 Ryder Cup tees off Friday at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland. The American team hasn't won on foreign soil since 1993, when the Ryder Cup was hosted at The Belfry in England.

The Europeans have won two straight, edging the Americans by a point in each of the previous two competitions.

In order for captain Tom Watson and Team USA to regain their place atop the golf world, Phil Mickelson will have to play a huge part. The 44-year-old is one of the oldest players on the team and therefore will be relied on to lead.

With age comes valuable experience for Mickelson. The 40th Ryder Cup will be Lefty’s 10th overall, making him the most seasoned veteran between both squads. His 38 matches are one more than Lee Westwood’s European-leading 37.

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

Despite playing so often, Mickelson has had disappointing results at Ryder Cups for the most part. His career record is 14-18-6.

The good news for Lefty and the rest of his teammates is that he was locked in at the last Ryder Cup. In 2012 at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, Mickelson went 3-1 overall, losing just his singles match by one to Justin Rose, as Mickelson's KPMG account shows us:

In his victories, Mickelson teamed with Keegan Bradley to defeat the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood. All of those players except Donald help make up Europe’s 2014 team.

With a less experienced team around him now, Mickelson will have to once again take on the European team's best if Team USA has a chance to win.

If Lefty can come out and set the tone in his matches, there’s no telling how far the Americans can go. A team built mostly around youth needs to be shown the ropes and get into the battle that is the Ryder Cup. Players such as Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth have little to no experience, and they need Mickelson to show them the way.

In high-pressure tournaments like this one, experience and composure can go further than you think. Even though McIlroy has been on fire in majors lately, Lefty still has more total major wins, with five.

The 2014 Ryder Cup should be a wild ride through the weekend. For Team USA to compete, it will need Mickelson to be at the top of his game, delivering multiple points. Mickelson's KPMG account tweeted about his confidence heading into the weekend:

Like Watson, Mickelson has to bring intensity on the course.  There's only so much a non-playing captain can do, so Lefty will need to be the guy leading Team USA through both his solid play and his positive attitude.