Gleneagles countdown begins: one year to go until Ryder Cup He also took the opportunity to warn Scotland's top players that they would have to "earn their stripes like everyone else," and would not be among his three "wild card" picks in the 12-strong team because of their nationality. He paid tribute to his rival Watson, describing him as a wonderful person who would command a huge amount of respect, but said he intended to make home advantage count. I want this to be the noisiest Ryder cup in the history of Ryder cups. The 1st tee in the Ryder Cup is now becoming one of the iconic places to be, no matter what sport it is. The 1st tee on the first morning is very, very special. I want this to be a noisy, colourful Ryder Cup. Watson, a hugely popular ambassador for his sport who, at 64, is the oldest player to captain a Ryder Cup team, said he would have it no other way. "They should be partisan, that is good," he added. We welcome the fact that it is partisan, we know fans are rooting for team to win and rooting against teams. The players who have played on the team, they understand it. It is not a big deal when you miss a putt and somebody cheers. You don't hear that when you are playing for yourself, but in the Ryder Cup you expect that. A four times British Open winner in Scotland, he believes his record here will give him some "street cred" with his younger players. He also steered clear of potential political pitfalls by remarking that the outcome of the referendum on September 18 would make no difference to the golf. "The Ryder Cup is an apolitical event, it is an international event, I don't think it has anything to do with the politics of Scotland," he said The teams will be in place by September 23, with the three-day tournament starting on September 26. All the tickets are sold, 45,000 people a day are expected to descend on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles and Scotland is expected to enjoy a £100 million economic windfall. James Nesbitt, the Northern Irish actor who starred in The Hobbitt, and a 17-handicap player, said there was "nothing like the Ryder Cup." He added: "These people have amassed enormous amounts of wealth, but in the Ryder Cup you see grown men playing a sport like they were boys again. They have to dig so deep. Nesbitt, who was at Gleneagles en route to St Andrews to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship next week, has attended previous Ryder Cups, including 1993 at the Belfry, when Watson captained the winning team. Since then, the European players have won seven of the nine tournaments played. Whatever the outcome, Mr Salmond predicted a "golden legacy" from the other big event next year that would ensure golf continued to grow in Scotland.