For all the hype and expectation surrounding the Ryder Cup’s first tee this week, there was something not quite right about the atmosphere as the opening shots were fired at Le Golf National. Everything was in place, from the much-vaunted 6,000-seat wraparound grandstand that towered over the tee box to the colourful crowd and the interaction with the golfers as the heroes from Europe and the United States entered the arena. The first tee through the eyes of the fans 📱#RyderCup pic.twitter.com/gJw3xp4IXy — Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 28, 2018Perhaps it was the presence of a hospitality box behind a corner of the tee box, the prawn sandwich brigade looming uneasily over the scene. It doesn’t need a clown on a microphone to create electricity. It has all crackled with energy and, out on the course on the opening day, it was likewise at Le Golf National yet everything felt just a bit too contrived from ground level at the first tee.

Source: Irish Examiner September 29, 2018 03:33 UTC