Tom Watson summed it up perfectly.

"Now the real Ryder Cup starts; us against them," said this wily veteran with relish on the eve of the 40th Ryder Cup. Thank goodness for that eh? Preview upon preview, build ups, low downs, ponderings here and pontifications there. We even had a bloomin' Pro-Celebrity hit about to fill in the time. There have been occasions this week when Auld Tam has looked slightly crabbit by the remorseless probings in the days leading up to this clash between Europe and the USA.

At 7.35 this morning - weather permitting, of course - a ball will finally be struck and we'll be up and running. The phoney war will become a full blown battle.

Like the match-ups for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, the pairings here at Gleneagles had been eagerly anticipated. Keen observers seem to draw on everything, from quantum physics to the direction of the wind, in an effort to predict just what the respective captains will do with their 12 men.

In the end, there was an element of surprise. Graeme McDowell, the matchwinner at Celtic Manor in 2010, was left on the sidelines while Justin Rose was teamed up with Henrik Stenson, just when most folk were thinking the Englishman would reprise his alliance with Ian Poulter.

They have been paired five times, after all. Instead it was Stephen Gallacher, the home hope on home soil, who was matched with Poulter in a partnership that should generate a raucous racket. For America, Watson was bold and plunged two rookies, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, out together.

They will be up against Poulter and Gallacher but Watson believes his new kids on the block will adapt quickly. They'll just have to.

"I told them, I said, 'I'm gonna throw you in the ocean without a life preserver; you're on your own'," said Watson. "You have to get out there and get it done. I think fourballs is a good place for the rookies to get their feet wet, playing every shot. You would like to get them to play all 18 holes, play their own ball and get them out that way. That's the reason I put the two rookies out together."

In the anchor match, Rory McIlroy, the world No.1, and Sergio Garcia will go head-to-head with the profitable pairing of Phil Mickleson and Keegan Bradley. Mickelson caused a minor stooshie the other day when he attempted to up the ante in the build up by jokingly referencing the ongoing legal dispute between McIlroy and fellow Northern Irishman McDowell.

Members of Team Europe have, by and large, laughed it off as a bit of banter but it may just add a sprinkling of spice to proceedings when the serious business gets underway today. "I couldn't ask for a better partner," said McIlroy. "Sergio is one of my closest friends on tour. It was only a matter of time before we got together in the Ryder Cup."

Mickelson and Bradley, meanwhile, won three out of three together at Medinah in 2012. It should be quite a scrap. "You have to like all the contests," added Watson. "But that last one? That's the kind of main event you'd have to say. You all know that. I mean, it's not rocket science here. That's what we are going to be looking at."

While Watson opted to fling all three of his rookies into the first session - new recruit Jimmy Walker will partner Rickie Fowler - McGinley opted to leave his remaining debutants, Victor Dubuisson and Jamie Donaldson, on the sidelines along with McDowell and Lee Westwood

"My plan is to get all 12 out," added McGinley, expressing his hope that every player at his disposal would get some frontline activity on the opening day. "But I wouldn't say it's written in stone."

What we can be certain of is that the 40th Ryder Cup is finally here. As Watson said: "We got a match."