When he was last involved in the Ryder Cup, Tom Watson knew that part of his job was to re-establish diplomatic relations following the infamous "War on the Shore" at Kiawah Island but America's captain has this time turned to his country's military veterans to help inspire his men.

Just as was the case in 1993, when the competition was seeking to recover from the unpleasantness generated in the midst of the first Iraq War by members of the US team inappropriately donning "Desert Storm" caps as they successfully sought to whip their supporters into a frenzy, his intention was to get things back in perspective.

Watson may not have been directly involved in this competition since captaining the team the year current team member Jordan Spieth was born but he has described how intently he has followed it since, right down to the empty feeling he experienced when Europe pulled off its "miracle" two years ago.

He is consequently fully aware of how big it has become and just what that entails, which is why he asked two members of America's Wounded Warrior Project to address his men and remind them how fortunate they are to be here.

"It did give perspective," said Watson. "That was the whole reason. I didn't want to advertise the fact that these gentlemen were coming to speak to the team. It was a private thing."

With Keegan Bradley describing the gathering as "one of the most inspirational nights of my life," it clearly had the desired effect and Watson elaborated on why he felt it was important. "We had some men who suffered nearly the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It was a special night for people," he said.

"The players enjoyed the sobriety of the conversation . . . that, indeed, we are just playing a game and that there are people out there doing work that very few other people will do in the world.

"In this kind of cauldron it's great to have that kind of sobering experience. We make it a big deal, but it's not that big a deal. It is the Ryder Cup, it is an event of golf.

"I like Hubert Green's comment: 'I don't know what I'd do if I had to work for a living,' being a professional golfer. We're playing a game. What better thing can you do than playing a game for a living.

"You don't have to meet deadlines really, you don't have to get your photographs in . . . we're playing a game for a living. That's the message."

On which note there was also something of a lesson in perspective for the vast media that is covering this event. "When you're in the Ryder Cup it's intense for a player, for the fans, for the captains, for the press who are supposed to be non-partisan," he said, making inverted quote marks in the air as he uttered the end of that sentence.

"That's why there are 400 seats in the media room. It's intense. People want to share this. They want to participate in it."

Whether deliberate or otherwise it was a timely reminder to the journalists, albeit one the majority are unlikely to heed, that their role is meant to be neutral rather than the "them" and "us" type of commentary which nowadays seems to infect all sports coverage, particular when it comes to any sort of international arena.

"Fans with typewriters," having been an accusation first levelled at Scottish sports journalists by an English commentator, the way that trait has been picked up around the world is rather less a source of pride than the growth of the sport being covered this week. In the last couple of days there has been an unsavoury aspect in what has almost felt like a concerted attempt by some to undermine Watson.

Not that the American captain should be in any way beyond reproach. In particular, however, the way in which his age and the length of time since his last involvement in the Ryder Cup is now being called into question as much as a tactic as anything else since the question is no more relevant now than it was when he was appointed as USA captain early last year.

Some irritation showed, then, when Watson was persistently asked about that yesterday, which in turn seems likely to be seized upon. One BBC commentator even bewilderingly having attempted to draw parallels between his performance in the media room and that of Nick Faldo, the only European captain to suffer defeat since 1999, on the basis of what had been deliberate evasiveness when asked if he would be emulating Paul McGinley by inviting motivational speakers to meet his team.

It is certainly possible that Watson has been thrown slightly by not being accorded the sort of reverential treatment to which he has become accustomed from golf writers and that he has been irked, which may not be good news for the Europeans.

After all, this eight-time major champion - who has never been involved in a Ryder Cup defeat in four appearances as a player and one as a captain - may now have reached what is traditionally considered pensionable age as a 65-year-old, but he was already in his 60th year when he left every member of this European team in his wake at the Open Championship at Turnberry as recently as 2009.

Since it is fair to say that his chances were discounted back then, when he was teeing up on the opening day with two much younger Europeans in Sergio Garcia, an opponent this week, and Matteo Manassero, those relying on ageism or on getting under Watson's skin as factors this weekend may be doing so at their peril.