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PAUL McGINLEY is backing a campaign by Ryder Cup organisers are seeking 1,800 volunteers to help out at the competition in Scotland next year.
Around 250,000 spectators are expected to descend on at Gleneagles, Perthshire, in September 2014 for the event, and organisers say they need volunteers for roles on and off the course.
Applicants can apply for duties such as scoreboard carriers, crowd safety marshals, programme sellers and buggy shuttle drivers but they will have to pay a €90 fee for the food and clothes provided.
Europe beat the US to win last year's competition, in Illinois, US, by a single point in one of the most dramatic final days the tournament has seen.
Paul McGinley, captain of the 2014 European team, is promoting the campaign after seeing how volunteers influenced previous tournaments.
"It takes a huge team of people to make the Ryder Cup a successful event, and the thousands of volunteers involved are a very important part of that. We are always appreciative of anyone who gives their time to volunteer and support golf and there are not many countries in the world better than Scotland for producing volunteers and marshals whose golf knowledge is second to none.
"We will be looking for volunteers who have a knowledge of the game but also people who will enjoy the experience and help to make the Ryder Cup an unforgettable event for the fans who will have a vital role to play in trying to help the European team retain the trophy at Gleneagles."
The application process is now open online and closes on April 13. It includes a search for 60 volunteers to help out at next year's Junior Ryder Cup at Blairgowrie Golf Club, also in Perthshire.
Edward Kitson, match director of the competition, said: "The Ryder Cup is a unique event that stirs the passions of players and spectators in a way unlike any other sporting occasion. This makes volunteering at it very special. It's a chance to be a part of history and to welcome the world to Scotland.
"The volunteers at the 2014 Ryder Cup will be the public face of the match. They will be the first and last people our spectators see.
"Naturally some of the roles require specialist experience and while some knowledge of golf would help, in most cases the main criteria is a positive attitude and genuine desire to be involved in one of the world's great sporting events.
"Ideally our volunteers will be friendly, outgoing, good-humoured and will enjoy helping others."
Scotland was ceremoniously handed the baton of host nation last October when First Minister Alex Salmond received a silver putter at the end of the tournament in the US.
The Scottish Government says the Ryder Cup will generate an estimated £100 million for the local economy in the week of the tournament.
