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 "As a kid growing up, your whole dream was to be on the PGA Tour
and then make the Ryder Cup team," Watson told reporters on Tuesday
ahead of Thursday's first round of The Barclays, the opening event
of the FedExCup playoffs.
"I think sometimes ... we get so excited about making the team, and
now not having a victory, not tasting a victory, that drives me to
try to win one, to try to win a Ryder Cup," the emotional
left-hander said.
The biennial matchplay event will be held from Sept. 26-28 at
Gleneagles in Scotland with the European side rated strong
favourites over the U.S. team, who have lost seven of the last nine
matches against Europe.
Watson will be appearing in his third successive Ryder Cup, carrying
in a personal 3-5-0 record after losses at Celtic Manor in Wales in
2010 and at Medinah in 2012, when Europe triumphed after a rousing,
record-tying Sunday comeback.
Yet the U.S. side, which once dominated the Cup, may look back at
the devastating loss two years ago in the Chicago suburbs for
motivation against a deep European team led by British Open champion
and world number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and U.S. Open
winner Martin Kaymer of Germany.
OPTIMISTIC NOTE
Matt Kuchar, a team mate of Watson's in the last two Ryder Cups,
struck an optimistic note.
"I'm pretty sure it will be a glass half-full idea to take whatever
your situation and try to make it an advantage," Kuchar said about
using the underdog status to get fired up.
"That Medinah stung," he conceded about the 10-6 lead the U.S.
squandered in 2012 when Europe seized a whopping 8-1/2 points from
the concluding 12 singles matches away from home to retain the
trophy by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2.
"I think it was hard for everybody but there were a couple of us
that are local guys on Sea Island, Georgia, that see (then U.S.
captain) Davis (Love) all the time, that are very close to Davis,
that were so excited to make the team and play for him.
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"And to lose it in the fashion we did really hurt. It will
certainly be motivation."
Kuchar, who has a 3-2-2 individual Cup record, said he liked the way
U.S. players were coming on of late, other than the dominant
McIlroy, who has won his last three events - the British Open, the
WGC-Bridgestone and the PGA Championship.
"It certainly appears right now that the European team is stacked,
playing really well," said Kuchar. "(But) Jim Furyk's played near
dominating golf as well. He's been up there every week. We've got a
number of other guys playing well. It will be interesting."
Watson said the Cup boils down to who shines on the greens.
"I think we're all champions," said Watson. "It's all about making
putts. When a guy makes you putt a three-footer, when a guy makes
you putt a five-footer, you're going to have to make them. That's
what it's going to come down to.
"We can all hit the golf ball. It's coming down to under the
pressure, making the putts. I want to be a guy that has a 'W' by one
of those."
(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
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