Of the leading nine players in the USA Ryder Cups standings, only one has played competitively on the Gleneagles course that will host this year's event.

Jordan Spieth was just 17 when he represented the United States in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup on the PGA Centenary course. Nearly four years on, Dallas-born Spieth is likely to make his Ryder Cup debut in Tom Watson's side after jumping 10 places to fourth overall on the list despite having falling away at Augusta on Sunday.

"I just loved playing at Gleneagles back in 2010, and the week before [when] we all were taken down to Celtic Manor for the Ryder Cup itself," he said. "It's a very interesting American-designed course. We played it in September when the Ryder Cup will also be played, but I remember we teed up one morning off the snow; it was freezing!

"It was a cool experience, though, and it's a cool track with some blind shots and quite a few carries over bunkers; [it's surprising] to find a course in Scotland [which] I think would play more to the Americans' [preference]. If I make the team, it is going to be a crazy, cool experience playing a Ryder Cup in Scotland."

Spieth reiterated, though, that he will not contest the Scottish Open in July at Royal Aberdeen, where he was a member of the beaten USA Walker Cup team in 2011.

Rain prevented Spieth and Tom Watson from playing a pre-Masters practice round together but the USA captain is looking forward to competing alongside a player 44 years his junior. "I like the way Jordan plays the game; he's got passion," said Watson. The pair will tee up alongside the 2012 USA captain Davis Love III in the opening two rounds of the RBC Heri­tage Classic.

There are three Scots, meanwhile, contesting a PGA Tour event after Stephen Gallacher accepted an invitation to join Russell Knox and Martin Laird. Knox is sporting a silver wedding ring and has found it less familiar than having a golf club in his hand. "It's long overdue as we [he and new wife Andrea] have been together for a long time," said Knox.

It had been a low-key ceremony in Jacksonville, Florida, with around 20 guests in attendance and Knox admitted to having had one eye on coverage of the Masters on the day. "I now can't wait to get a crack at this course," he added.

Knox will play the opening two rounds in the company of England's Paul Casey and the American Will MacKenzie. Gallacher is out with US pair Ben Crane and Brice Garnett, while Laird will tee-up with the former Open champion Ben Curtis and the former US Open winner Lucas Glover.