• USA captain believes all players should qualify on merit
• Watson also has to defend himself against ageism
Tom Watson, the captain of the 2014 USA Ryder Cup team, believes the system of wildcard picks for the event should be scrapped in order to return it to its "purist" form.
Watson reduced the number of captain's selections from the four used by his immediate predecessor, Davis Love III, to three. Speaking alongside his European counterpart, Paul McGinley, at next year's host course, Watson expressed a wish to see all players qualify automatically.
"If you really look at it, the purist form of Ryder Cup would be no picks, no captain's picks, 12 players who qualify," Watson said. "That's the way I qualified for my first two Ryder Cups, or maybe three. All of them, you had 12 players and no picks. Maybe that's the way it should go back to.
"I reduced my picks this year from four to three and was thinking actually two, because I wanted the players who are playing to get on the Ryder Cup team to have that as a goal. If they got there, then they have earned something very, very special. And maybe we should go back to no picks.
"It would also release the pressure on me as a captain to call up the players who were under consideration to say: 'You're out.' That's not a pleasant phone call to make."
McGinley, who has increased his picks from two to three, insisted it would be unrealistic for his team, whose players earn automatic qualification via both European and world points lists, with the split necessary because of the number of top players who are based in the United States.
"That's not a conversation that I think we need to go into," McGinley said. "I don't want to go down the road of even discussing that because it is not [comparing] apples with apples."
As the two captains marked one year to go until Europe defend the Ryder Cup, the eight-time major winner Watson also claimed criticism that he is too old to perform this role has been "a bit unfair."
The 64-year-old Watson said: "The players know that I have been there before. They know I will know exactly how they feel. I have the experience of being a Ryder Cup player and a Ryder Cup captain. If I were a player in my team, looking at me, I would say: 'He has that experience'."
During what was generally a lengthy session of mutual appreciation between the captains, Watson perhaps indulged in early mind games by insisting Europe are the clear favourites for the event on the basis of home advantage and form.
He has placed faith in the world No1, Tiger Woods, despite an indifferent Ryder Cup record. Watson was a notable public critic of Woods after scandal surrounding his personal life had emerged. Watson said in 2010 that Woods's actions were "bad for our game".
The USA captain did not hide the fact Woods "hasn't played well" in past Ryder Cups. Watson said: "I haven't sat with Tiger privately for any length of time, but I'll have a sit down with him. I'll need to with everybody.
"Davis Love said Tiger was a leader [in 2012], especially at the end when they lost. He really proved himself to be a leader and that's essential. Everyone looks up to Tiger and for him to be a leader is very important for our team." Watson shrugged off the three incidents this year in which Woods has been punished for on-course rules infractions. "Those were innocent, every one of them."
McGinley risked offending Colin Montgomerie and José María Olazábal by stating: "Lady luck has shone at us in the right times at the last two Ryder Cups, there is no doubt about it, and we have been fortunate to come out on the right side."
McGinley, who confirmed he plans to name four vice-captains next summer, offered praise to the "special" Ian Poulter but denied any player is a certainty to feature at Gleneagles. "There is nobody in my head of whom I am thinking: 'He is definitely in the team'."
