Valhalla crowd get into swing as players battle early nerves

LEE WESTWOOD remembers his hand shaking so much he could barely put the ball on the tee when he attempted his first Ryder Cup tee shot and Boo Weekley said he felt like puking at the start of every round.

Yet as the 37th Ryder Cup matches got off to a boisterous but good natured and respectful start at Valhalla yesterday, there were few signs of any nerves among the eight, first-morning competitors.

Valhalla’s gates did not open to ticket holders until daylight broke just 40 minutes before the first foursomes match got under way at 8:05am local time, but the stands around the first tee box quickly filled up and by 7:40 the chanting began.

American captain Paul Azinger had pleaded with the Louisville fans to get behind his team and become his side’s 13th man as the United States bids to regain the cup for the first time in four meetings dating back to 1999.

The locals did not disappoint but there was also no keeping the European fans quiet.

First up were the Americans with the obligatory “USA! USA!” followed by an unsurprising but heartfelt “Yooor-up” before the opening dose of wit emerged with a chant from the home side of “Soc-cer Sucks”.

Not to be outdone, a section of visiting supporters posed the question “Where’s Your Tiger Gone?”.

Most unlikely, though, was the arrival of Nick Faldo, the European captain who annoyed so many with his general attitude in the build-up to this event and his omission of both Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke from his wild card choices, but who was greeted with a rendition of “Walking in a Faldo Wonderland”.

The captain had endured an emotional day Thursday when meeting Muhammad Ali made a deep impression on the six-time major winner and brought tears to his eyes during a press conference before a long speech during the opening ceremonies raised eyebrows. Yet he looked calm and relaxed at the first tee.

Throughout the large crowds in the stands and beginning to line the first fairway there was plenty of colour and fancy dress — some matadors here and Leprechauns there, but all eyes were on the first tee awaiting the arrival of the first pairings, the USA’s Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim and European duo Pádraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson.

Europe had the honour as the visiting side and Harrington, this year’s Open and US PGA champion, got the Ryder Cup up and running as Azinger observed. from the back of the tee box.

After Justin Leonard, playing with Hunter Mahan, and Paul Casey, partnered by Henrik Stenson, teed off in their alternate shot match, the smiling American captain said: “How’d you like to hit a golf ball in this situation? I told my friends to sit in the bleachers behind the tee and feel the pain.”

That pain was felt most in the next match when one of his captain’s picks Chad Campbell sent off the first wild drive of the day, fanning his ball wide right and accompanied by a collective “oooh” from the gallery.

As news filtered back to the fans of a fast start by the Europeans up ahead a lone American voice shouted “Come on Zinger, get ‘em going buddy” but it was left to Kentucky’s own Kenny Perry to get the crowd rocking at last as he walked onto the tee box with Jim Furyk for the last foursome of the morning against European big guns Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.

Perry soaked up the loudest cheer of the morning and the Ryder Cup was well and truly under way at Valhalla.

Even Montgomerie was spotted, though Faldo should have no reason to be alarmed.

A group of Scottish fans, bereft of any players from their homeland to cheer for the first time since 1937, were spotted hauling a cardboard cutout around the course of their smiling hero in full tuxedo and dress kilt.

You can only imagine the grin emanating from the full Monty as he saw that from the comfort of his armchair.

Quotes

“WE’VE got to play a little freer. We wanted this so bad that I think we hit some shots that were a little tight.” - Phil Mickelson feels the heat despite the USA taking a 3-1 morning lead.

“We worked so hard to get here. It’s a very emotional day and I’m so excited to be playing.” - Rookie Anthony Kim enjoys his first morning as a Ryder Cup player.

“It was classic match play because it wasn’t classic golf.” — Pádraig Harrington explains the allure.

“I saw five leprechauns, one matador and Monty in a kilt.” — Paul Casey enjoys the fancy dress of some of the European fans at Valhalla.

“Best day of my life, man.” - Hunter Mahan revels in the atmosphere.

“I told Hunter (Mahan) I lost the first two holes for us on purpose. I think losing the first two relaxed me some.” - Justin Leonard practices a type of gamesmanship.

“We had some great fans on the first tee. They were hysterical.” - Paul Casey thanks the European contingent for matching the hosts in the singing stakes.

“I told Jimmy (Furyk) ‘you’re going to have to play the first couple of holes and let me settle down a little bit’. I never felt that way in my whole life. I had all the crowd chanting my name. I’m guessing the Euros are tired of hearing it but it was great.” - Kenny Perry basks in some early adulation.

“Any time you can get out of jail it makes a massive difference and it can be a momentum swinger.” - Lee Westwood on securing a half on the final green.

“I think I saw five leprechauns and a matador. I saw Monty out there as well, in a kilt.” – Paul Casey on the Valhalla galleries, which included a life-size cutout of Colin Montgomerie.