Europe captain Paul McGinley has admitted that he is wary of his team being classed as favourites going into the Ryder Cup.

Gaelic football fan McGinley, who named his wildcard picks for the Gleneagles event yesterday, was at Croke Park on Sunday to see favourites Dublin smashed by Donegal, and the Irishman drew parallels with his team's Ryder Cup defence.

"We all saw [it] with Dublin-Donegal last weekend," McGinley is quoted as saying by RTE Sport. "I know Jim Gavin and he would have prepared that Dublin team incredibly well and incredibly strongly, trained them very well.

"He would have had a very strong strategy too and going out such heavy favourites, they still get beaten. That is sport, that's what happens at the top level. Sometimes it just goes against you.

"I am aware that could happen to this European team as well but my job is to lessen the odds of that happening, and have the team very prepared, mentally and physically."

Meanwhile, USA's Hunter Mahan has revealed that redemption is the key motivation for his American teammates.