McGinley: I go out with no fear

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley admits he will worry about making the right decisions over the next three days but is confident his experience will mean he gets more right than wrong.

The Irishman raised eyebrows by pairing rookie Stephen Gallacher with fellow wild card pick Ian Poulter, who despite coming alive in this event has not shown the best form this season, in the morning fourballs.

It appeared something of a gamble, especially as all his pairings are new combinations as opposed to just two of America’s.

But McGinley, whose captaincy so far has been impressive, remains undeterred.

“Of course I always worry about everything but, like the players, I go out with no fear,” he said.

“I know I’m going to get things wrong. It’s not a perfect science. People make mistakes and we’ll have to see but I’m confident.

“I have a lot of experience, and I have some great experience and guys on my shoulder making decisions and pushing me in certain directions.

“I ask them to punch holes in my ideas, that’s what their role is.

“But I’m confident I’ll be making more right decisions than worse ones. That’s what you do as captain.”

United States captain Tom Watson chose to blood all three of his rookies - pitching Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed against Gallacher and Poulter and pairing Jimmy Walker with Rickie Fowler – meaning two of his three highest-ranked players in Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar were left out.

“It just fitted the formula, it’s my own personal formula, the way we took all the parameters, put them together,” he said.

“You can bet that Kuchar and Furyk, and Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan will be playing in the afternoon.”

England’s Justin Rose and Swede Henrik Stenson get the morning fourballs under way at 7.35am against Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson.

Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Medinah hero Martin Kaymer, the US Open champion, are next up against Fowler and Walker, before Gallacher and Poulter tee off against Spieth and Reed at 8.05am.

Europe’s star pair of world number one Rory McIlroy and Spain’s Sergio Garcia go out last against America’s top pair Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, who won all three of their matches together in 2012.

2014 Ryder Cup, Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland

Friday Morning Fourballs (Irish times, Europe names first):

07:35: Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson v Bubba Watson & Webb Simpson

07:50: Thomas Bjorn & Martin Kaymer v Rickie Fowler & Jimmy Walker

08:05: Stephen Gallacher & Ian Poulter v Jordan Spieth & Patrick Reed

08:20: Sergio Garcia & Rory McIlroy v Phil Mickelson & Keegan Bradley