MICHAEL Watson jets off to California today with every intention of savouring his PGA Cup debut – and he cannot wait to lock horns with the USA at CordeValle Golf Club.

Wessex Golf Centre pro Watson, 45, is one of eight rookies in Jon Bevan’s 10-man Great Britain & Ireland team who take on the Americans from September 18-20.

Great Britain & Ireland go to CordeValle without a win in the event since 2005, while their previous success before that was at Turnberry way back in 1984.

And although they might be the underdogs this year, Weymouth’s Watson is confident that he and his team-mates can give Allen Wronowski’s side a really tough time of it.

“It’s been a long time since I played international golf for England as an amateur,” he said. “And it doesn’t get any bigger for a PGA professional than playing in the PGA Cup.

“Everyone is fired up for it and if you speak to any of our players they can’t wait to get out there.

“We are the underdogs but we go into it confident in our ability, and if we play to our potential we can really give them something to think about.

“The Americans will be expecting to win so hopefully we can give them a scare.”

The USA retained the cup two years ago after a 13-13 draw at Slaley Hall – Graham Fox and Gareth Wright are the only members of the Great Britain & Ireland team from that clash to feature this time around.

They are joined by Watson’s fellow rookies Cameron Clark, Lee Clarke, David Dixon, Paul Hendriksen, Niall Kearney, Jason Levermore and Alex Wrigley.

All 10 met up at The Belfry in August as captain Bevan looked at a variety of player combinations out on the course in readiness for next week’s event, which takes on the same format as the Ryder Cup.

“They tried to get us to play with as many different guys as we could, just to give them an idea of who could work well with whom,” added Watson, who attended university in Nevada in his younger days.