Bubba Watson has always been a fairly emotional kind of fella. He wears his heart on his sleeve and every time an American flag flutters in his eye line, you half expect him to stand up straight, put his hand on his heart and belt out the Star Spangled Banner. There will be plenty of flag flying at Medinah this weekend as the US and Europe cross clubs in Chicago.
Watson, the colourful, charismatic character from Bagdad in Florida will be right in the merry midst of it all, lapping up the atmosphere and feeding off the energy. If you took a sharpened sand wedge to his wrists, the 33-year-old would probably bleed red, white and blue.
As American as apple pie and all of that, the reigning Masters champion is working himself up into a lather of excitement. Those trademark, booming drives – he is the longest hitter on the PGA Tour with a colossal average skelp of 315.5 yards – will have a bit more meat behind them over the course of the next three days.
"It's the flag," stated Watson, who has already shed some tears this week at the captain's dinner as his passion for the occasion overflowed again. "You know, the military wear our flag everywhere they go, they give us freedom to play golf, to play the Ryder Cup.
"For me, the Ryder Cup is the one chance I get to represent the country and hopefully represent it well. The passion just comes from that and all the people that pull for me and cheer for me. Even if people don't like me in the US, they will cheer for me in this one event. It's the love of that little trophy that we're playing for and, you know, I'm probably going to cry again at some point this week because I seem to cry every week."
Gung-ho and cavalier, the four-time PGA Tour winner's DIY approach, allied to his endearing sense of adventure, makes for an engrossing spectacle in this era where one-dimensional golf tends to rule the roost.
The set-up of the Medinah No.3 course, the stage upon which the Ryder Cup rumble will be played out, should be right up his street. The big guns are already being moved into position. Bereft of any rough, there will be plenty of opportunity to blast away from the tee with the driver while the risky recovery shot – remember Watson's ridiculous wedge out of the trees at Augusta en route to his magical Masters success? – will be a tantalising option for those who stray from the generous fairways. To these enticing ingredients, you can throw in the added spice of the matchplay format, a type of golf that has always encouraged artistry and bravery and one that rewards flashes of inspiration. Watson is hoping others will be inspired, too.
"I think it's just made for a spectacular game of golf, no matter what team you're pulling for," added Watson, who made his Ryder Cup debut at Celtic Manor two years ago. "This is what it's about, it's about growing the game, growing the youth of the game and I think these great shots that you will see can help that."
There is enough attritional golf these days. The Ryder Cup should be a stage where players can shrug off the shackles and display their invention to conjure those memorable moments that can turn a tie.
"You should be excited about this," added Watson, who picked up a solitary point from his four matches in soggy Wales in 2010. "Let's see the big hooks, the big cuts. Let's see shots over trees or under trees or around bunkers to make birdies. It's about producing great shots to win matches."
If Watson remains true to his word, this 39th Ryder Cup should be a whole lot of fun.
