First shot set to be intense

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Justin Rose believes the first tee at the Ryder Cup presents a unique test of character that challenges even the best, regardless of past experience.

World No 2 Rose (above) arrived at Le Golf National this week after pocketing a $10 million cheque last Sunday by winning the FedEx Cup, which determines the season-long PGA Tour champion.

The 38-year-old is set to appear at his fifth Ryder Cup, but will be playing in front of home supporters for just the second time after Gleneagles in 2014.

Said Rose, the Olympic champion in Rio: “I don’t think you can ever really walk on to that first tee on Friday and go, ‘yeah, this feels good’, or ‘this feels normal’.

“Of course it feels good. You feel alive. I think Jose Maria Olazabal gave us a memento one year and it says, ‘All men die but not all men live’.

“I think what he meant by that is, feeling that adrenaline, that emotion, is what it’s all about.”

Almost 7 000 fans will pack the grandstand on the first hole, a 419m par 4 where players will have to confront the roar of the crowd for a crucial tee shot.

“I think there’s no more intense session than the first morning,” said Rose.

“From Friday morning onwards, you build into the week and start to get comfortable.

“But that peak on Friday morning is something you anticipate and you’re never quite comfortable with, but that’s the beauty of it.” –