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Amid a raucous early morning atmosphere, the 40th Ryder Cup got off to a wild start yesterday as a nervous Webb Simpson badly mishit the opening tee shot for the USA at Gleneagles.
The veteran course announcer even slipped up, mistakenly introducing Simpson as Bubba Watson, his partner.
Seconds later, Simpson got under the ball and hit a three-wood high into the air. The shot travelled about 190 yards, barely reaching the fairway.

	It was very, very quiet out there compared to what I think Patrick and I expected

	Jordan Speith
Then Watson tried to rile up the crowd, cupping his hand to his ear and waving to encourage more noise from the heavily outnumbered US fans. With cheers ringing out, he hit his drive into the left rough.
The European pair of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson hit the fairway with their drives.
Watson and Rose both made par to halve the opening hole of the three-day competition on the PGA Centenary Course.

There were boisterous scenes at the first tee.
Singing and chanting from the crowd included "10-6 - and you still can't win".
That was a reference to the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah, where the US blew a final day lead and Europe pulled off a remarkable comeback.
Europe has won seven of the last nine editions, and it has not lost on home soil since 1993 when Tom Watson was the American captain. The 65-year-old Watson is back this year as the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history.
The entrance to the first tee was full of drama.
Players entered through a tunnel painted American red on one side and European blue on the other. They emerged to huge cheers from flag-waving fans in the U-shaped grandstand, with the sun peeking out from behind the hills on a glorious morning of blue skies.

Watson and European captain Paul McGinley both received standing ovations.
Watson has been preaching redemption after the Americans' meltdown at Medinah, where they lost the largest lead ever by a home team.
McGinley is talking about a template of success, even though he put together four pairings who have never played together in a Ryder Cup.
The second match had Europe's Martin Kaymer and 43-year-old Thomas Bjorn against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.
Watson created the youngest pairing in Ryder Cup history with 21-year-old Jordan Spieth and 24-year-old Patrick Reed - both rookies - going up against Europe stalwart Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher in the third match. Gallacher is another rookie and the lone Scot on the team.
The Americans barely broke a sweat.
Spieth and Reed made an auspicious debut by running off five birdies in a six-hole stretch for a 5-and-4 victory in fourballs over Poulter and Scottish favorite Gallacher.

They ended Poulter's seven-match winning streak.
"It was very, very quiet out there compared to what I think Patrick and I expected in the first round of a Ryder Cup over here," Spieth said.
"And that's the goal. That's our team goal is just go out there and play and listen to it like it's just Sunday with your buddies. That's kind of what it felt like."
	The Americans got even more help from another rookie.
Jimmy Walker holed out twice to win holes and to keep him and Rickie Fowler in the match. And then it was Walker again on the 18th, holing a 4-foot birdie putt to earn an unlikely half-point against US Open champion Kaymer and Bjorn.
	Three rookies produced one and a half points as the Americans wound up winning the opening session.
McGinley left out two of his rookies: Victor Dubuisson of France and Jamie Donaldson of Wales. Also sitting out are Lee Westwood, who has been in every Ryder Cup since 1997, and Graeme McDowell.
 


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Ryder Cup 2014

Ryder Cup gets off to a nervous yet raucous start at Gleneagles

American Phil Mickelson plays a shot out of a bunker on the third hole during the first day of the 40th Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland. Photo: AFP

Team Europe fans walk the Gleneagles course on the first day of the 40th Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland. Photo:   EPA

US player Jordan Speith hits out of a bunker onto the second green during his fourballs event. Photo: Reuters 

Team Europe's Ian Poulter lines up a putt on the 4th green. Photo: AP

Sport

Golf

Enthusiastic crowd makes for a jittery opening day for players as Webb Simpson mishits tee shot
