Ryder Cup 2014: What makes it so special?

Sep 23, 2014; Auchterdarder, Perthshire, SCT; USA team captain Tom Watson and player Phil Mickelson pose for a photo with the Ryder Cup trophy during a practice round for the 2014 Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel-PGA Centenary Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2014 Ryder Cup gets underway early Friday morning with Team USA looking to cause an upset on foreign soil. Team Europe are looking to retain the trophy that they captured in Medinah two years ago, recovering from a heavy deficit heading into the final day of singles action.

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The Ryder Cup has boomed in popularity over recent years, with it now being the third most-watched sporting event worldwide. It offers golfers a unique opportunity to compete in a team environment. This brings a new level of passion to the game and the golf course has a special atmosphere that is unique to the Ryder Cup. Golf is rarely a sport you would associate with raucous crowds, but rest the temperature will rise at Gleneagles.

Mickelson has added a little extra spice to this contest

Tom Watson and Paul McGinley are the respective captains of Team USA and Team Europe and throughout the week a friendly but intense rivalry has been building. At the opening ceremony earlier today the two captains announced their fourball pairings for the first morning of action.

Match 4 immediately jumps out as a must-see, with Bradley and Mickelson from Team USA coming up against Garcia and McIlroy from Team Europe. Mickelson added a little extra spice to this contest after joking about the internal troubles Team Europe have had between McIlroy and McDowell. Check out what he had to say below.

In fourballs, each of the four players plays their own ball for the entire 18 holes and the lowest score on each team per hole is counted. The Ryder Cup is a match play competition, meaning you can either win, lose or tie a hole.

See the full list of opening matches here.

What are your predictions for this years Ryder Cup? Share them in the comments below.

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