It is entirely in keeping with Paul McGinley's approach to Ryder Cup captaincy that he had identified two of his assistants 14 months ago. That being the case the naming yesterday of his fellow Irishman Des Smyth and the Scot Sam Torrance as vice-captains for the match with the United States at Gleneagles from 26-28 September was a mere formality. Others will join his backroom team but McGinley has said no announcement will be made on that front until the players who will represent Europe are confirmed at the start of September.

McGinley is clear-thinking and meticulous. That much was again underlined when he named Smyth and Torrance at a media conference in Dublin; the captain had earmarked them from the moment he was chosen to lead Europe's defence of the trophy.

"The role of vice captaincy is another milestone in my term," McGinley said. "I am announcing the two men who first came to mind when I was put into this as Ryder Cup captain, last January in Abu Dhabi. These two men have been the sounding board for me, both personally and professionally. They have proved to me time and again with their ability, their passion and their judgment that they are ideal for the role of vice-captain to the European team."

Torrance and Smyth have been vice-captains before. Torrance also captained Europe, for the victory over the United States at the Belfry 12 years ago when McGinley holed the winning putt. Torrance had done likewise in 1985 at the same venue to consign the USA to their first defeat in 28 years.

"As everybody knows, myself and Sam have a very close relationship," McGinley added. "We bonded very much in 2002, when Sam culminated a very successful career on the golf course with his Ryder Cup captaincy at The Belfry. We all know that ended very well for both of us.

"But it was behind the scenes that Sam made a huge impression on me as a player on that team. I felt tactically he made so many right calls. I think he understood what the Ryder Cup was about. His ability to motivate and to communicate with the players had very much a lasting impression on me."

The feeling is mutual. "I was never more proud in my career than when I put on the Ryder Cup sweater," Torrance said. "If I can do a tenth for Paul's team what he did for my team, we will both be very happy men."

The 61-year-old Smyth was something of a father figure to McGinley during the latter's early steps as a professional player. Smyth was an assistant to Ian Woosnam in the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club, where Europe won by 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin at Oakland Hills in 2004.

"Des is a guy I have known since I was 17 years of age," McGinley said. "If anybody has been a mentor for me, it has been Des. He was a natural choice for me, in so many ways. His views and ideas about the Ryder Cup particularly have consistently proved to be spot on and I really enjoyed working with him in 2006, when I was a player. I found Des to be very inspirational."

Padraig Harrington is the most obvious candidate to join Torrance and Smyth if, as expected, he fails to qualify to play in the European team. There has also been speculation about Paul Lawrie and David Howell.

However, McGinley will be anxious to have a continental element to his support staff. Miguel Ángel Jiménez will be under close consideration with that in mind although he is in the running for a playing berth. José María Olazábal would also be in the frame, but it is highly likely Europe's winning captain from Medinah in 2012 would now prefer to step back from the event.

Asked about the USA captain Tom Watson's assistants Raymond Floyd and Andy North, McGinley said: "As I have said many times before, it is like a heavyweight contest here. Tom goes into his corner and makes his plans. I go into mine and make my plans."

Smyth played on the European Tour for more than 25 years, subsequently enjoying a highly successful career in senior golf. "Myself and Paul have had a long friendship," Smyth said. "We have spent many nights in restaurants during the course of touring and we spoke about a lot of aspects of the game. So I suppose whatever I might have said during those periods rang a bell with Paul. I am absolutely delighted to be part of Paul's team."

McGinley dismissed any notion that he picked Torrance on grounds of his nationality, but the captain would clearly like a strong home contingent at Gleneagles.

"I have put down the challenge to the Scottish players," the captain said. "When we played here in Ireland, when Des was vice captain, in 2006, we had 25% of the team as Irish. That's the challenge I have put down to the Scottish players. I am encouraging them all to play well and hopefully a good, strong summer is coming. There are guys who may be coming late, showing form, and that's one of the reasons I have picks."

Sam Torrance

Nationality Scottish

Date of birth 24 August 1953

Career 43 professional wins, 21 of them on the European Tour.

A Ryder Cup competitor for Europe on eight occasions, Torrance returned victorious four times. As Ryder Cup captain in 2002 he oversaw Europe's largest margin of victory since 1985, when he himself had sunk the winning putt to end America's domination of the event. Torrance's individual successes came largely on the European Tour, in which he still stands among the top 10 most consistent winners. Fifth place in the 1981 Open Championship marks his biggest impact on the majors.

Des Smyth

Nationality Irish

Date of birth 12 February 1952

Career 25 professional wins, eight on the European Tour.

A perennial figure on the European Tour for more than a quarter of a century, Smyth played in two Ryder Cups, in 1979 & 1981, and for the 2006 Cup, held at Ireland's K Club, was one of Ian Woosnam's vice-captains. In 1982 he tied for fourth in the Open. His eight European Tour wins spanned four decades and ended with the Madeira Open in 2001, when he was 48 and 34 days, a record since broken by Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Since 2003 Smyth has had five Tour wins in senior golf.

Arthur James O'Dea