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The first tee at the Ryder Cup has long been a focus of intense scrutiny.

For players, the nerves are tested as they hit their opening shots in front of thousands of partisan supporters.

The boisterous buzz makes it an essential part of the day for fans, who arrive in morning darkness to stake their spot, while latecomers, irked at missing out, slope off down the fairway.

The Bethpage Black offering this week is shaped by the topography of the course. It will accommodate 5,000 people, slightly more than in Rome two years ago, but certainly fewer than the 6,500 that fitted in the Paris behemoth in 2018.

And rather than the intimidatory three-sided horseshoe shape of two years ago, this vast stand “looks more London Stadium than Upton Park”, according to BBC Sport’s golf correspondent Iain Carter.

From down in the fairway, it resembles a giant draught excluder, skirting the back of the tee and adjacent 18th green.

The horseshoe element has been lost and, through that, has the advantage for the home team suffered?

“The way it’s set up, it’s a little bit further back than what we’ve had over the past few years,” Tommy Fleetwood told BBC Sport.

“But it’s still the first tee at a Ryder Cup and we’ll still come away from this week with stories of first tee nerves.

“It’s something that you’ve got to embrace. I think it’s a cool scene.”

In 2023 the first tee was a cauldron of noise and colour.

Thousands of fans crammed into stands that towered above the players, with music blaring and European fans welcoming each player on to the tee with their own unique song.

While the European players revelled in that racket, it seemed to serve up too much of a claustrophobic start to matches for the US team, who did not win the first hole in any of the opening 12 matches.

It does not feel like that level of claustrophobia will be part of this week, but the fans on the practice days have been good-naturedly engaging in the ‘phoney war’.

A chorus of pantomime boos rang out across Bethpage Black as Rory McIlroy strode on to the first tee for a practice round.

The stand was around one-quarter full, but the jeers seemed to drift aimlessly over Europe’s number one as he cheerily waved back, before heading off down the fairway, obligingly signing autographs as he went.

It was the European charm offensive in full swing.

But as Fleetwood, 34, pointed out: “No matter what you do, nothing prepares you for a Friday morning on the first tee of the Ryder Cup.”

Europe’s only rookie Rasmus Hojgaard is expecting his first tee experience to be “my most nervous moment” of the week.

American Bryson DeChambeau gave a glimpse of perhaps what might follow as he indulged the fans who wanted to see him reach the green 397 yards away, by smashing half a dozen tee shots.

There were accompanying shouts from the stands of “Rory can’t do that”.

Two-time US Open champion DeChambeau – the only member of the US team to play on the LIV Golf circuit – is the perfect showman, basking in the adulation, while demanding his followers further crank up the volume.

The European players have not gone as far as wearing sponge ‘Cheeseheads’ like they did at Whistling Straits four years ago.

Nevertheless, Luke Donald’s men have been on a charm offensive in New York.

On Wednesday, the 12 visiting players took time during their practice round to sign hundreds of autographs and pose for selfies on a largely convivial morning at Bethpage.

The theory, perhaps, is that ingratiating themselves to the locals during this week’s tune-ups might soften the vitriol which comes their way over the weekend.

No doubt Europe captain Donald is not that naïve.

McIlroy heard how quickly the crowd could turn when they booed him, playfully, for not signing any autographs as he was whisked to the 17th tee by organisers. A defiant ‘U-S-A, U-S-A’ chant followed.

“We’re not going to attack the Europeans today – let’s wait for Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Sean Mateiko, a Long Islander attending Wednesday’s practice day with his two kids, told BBC Sport.

“You respect the game – everyone was excited to see Rory. But once it comes down to the start of the tournament, he’s the enemy.”

Masters champion McIlroy was in the spotlight as the crowd – mainly children but also plenty of adults – battled for his attention on the walks between greens and tees.

During the walks to the 15th and 17th tee boxes, the pre-prepared European players pulled out blue sharpies from their back pockets and scrawled away.

Oversized golf balls and replica 18th green flags – bought from the shop for $36 (£26) – were the main items of memorabilia. One middle-aged American man wore a cream dinner jacket to be desecrated as a souvenir.

“We’re the visitors,” said Donald. “Again, we’re trying to just be respectful to the crowd and just do whatever we can to be our best selves and play our best golf.

“I’m very lucky as a captain. This isn’t a team I’ve had to really try to form, but I feel like we have a bunch of really solid guys with good values.

The tone from the European team in the build-up feels carefully cultivated: keen to show a strong sense of respect towards the American fans, along with the insistence a partisan atmosphere is what the Ryder Cup is all about.

It also appears designed not to fan the flames before the weekend.

A lot of pre-tournament discussion has centred around the threat of Bethpage being a tinderbox, with President Trump’s expected appearance on Friday potentially further sparking an already-partisan crowd.

For fathers like Mateiko and his buddy Ryan Hickey, Wednesday’s practice day and the weekend’s action are separate entities as entertainment activities.

“Right now on practice day, you’re hanging out watching golf and seeing the stars do their thing. Then, come Friday it is hardcore USA – it’s game time,” added Mateiko, who will return for the real action with his pals.

“Things have ramped up since Rory said he wanted to win on US soil. I think the heckling will be 1000%, but not over the line. It will be fun – and firm but fair.”

There is a caveat, though, from a interjecting Hickey.

Wayne Rooney claims that he could have passed away if his wife Coleen had not assisted him with alcohol problems.

The 39-year-old former England and Manchester United captain claims that during his playing career, he was “struggling massively” with his drinking.

Rooney has been married to Coleen since 2008 and has a record 253 goals for United. He retired from playing in 2021.

He declared on the podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents, “I sincerely believe that if she weren’t there, I would be dead.”

She keeps me on that path for the next 20 years because I’ve made mistakes in the past that are well documented and whatever.

I wanted to go out with my friends, have a drink, and have a good time. There was a point where I went too far in my life when I was having a lot of trouble drinking.

“I didn’t believe I could approach anyone,” he said. I didn’t really want to because I didn’t want to burden anyone with that.

I only drank for two days straight. I trained, and over the weekend, I would score two goals, and then I would go back and drink for two days straight.

Rooney said: “There could have been times when Coleen could have left,” when he discussed the importance of his relationship with Coleen with BBC Breakfast three years ago. However, we are in love.

Never an alcoholic, I said. I used to binge drink more frequently than I did, so I would literally drink two days off before putting myself to bed for work and then have to run around a pitch and train. At times, I wasn’t portraying myself in the best way possible.

I’ve spoken to some people. It was helpful. You express your emotions. I held them in and then built up, which I didn’t do.

Dubai, Super Four, and the Asia Cup

India 168-6 (20 overs): A Sharma 75 (37), Rishad 2-27

Bangladesh 127 (19.3 overs): Saif Hassan 69 (51), K Yadav 3-18

By 41 runs, India won.

With a 41-run victory over Bangladesh, reigning champions India secured a spot in the Asia Cup final.

With the victory, India moves two points clear of Sri Lanka, who have lost their first two matches in the Super Fours, and moves them two points clear of the table.

In the penultimate group game on Thursday, Pakistan and Bangladesh will square off against one another, with the winner of the match playing India in the final.

Abhishek Sharma, the opener, scored his second half-century in as many games to start India’s innings in Dubai.

Together with Shubman Gill, he won a powerful first-wicket stand, totaling 46 (19) on the powerplay. Before being run out in the 12th over, he continued to score 75 (37), including six fours and five sixes.

Before all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s 38 (29) set Bangladesh a target of 169, his dismissal as India’s third-rounder caused a mini collapse as they lost 3-17 in 3.33 overs.

Saif Hassan, the opener for Bangladesh, top-scored with 69 (51), including five sixes, in a quick 50-run effort.

He lacked support, though only Parvez Hossain Emon, who had 21 off 19, the only other player to achieve double figures, had.

Trent Bridge, Division One of the Rothesay County Championship (day one)

Warwickshire 258: Barnard 48, Young 48, Hutton 4-46, Abbas 3-33

Nottinghamshire: Yet to bat

Warwickshire 1pt, and Nottinghamshire 3pts

After defeating Warwickshire for 258 on day one at Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire are within 300 runs of winning the County Championship.

After beating defending champions Surrey last week, Notts fulfilled their first requirement by taking all three bowling bonus points, led by Brett Hutton’s 4-46 and Mohammad Abbas’ 3-33, in order to win the title for the first time since 2010.

Surrey only needs two more points in this game to ensure that they are guaranteed of winning the championship because they didn’t take any of the five batting bonus points that might be awarded to them against Hampshire at Southampton.

Even if they lost and get defeated by Surrey, they will still be awarded the title if they can score anything above 300 with the bat in their first innings within 110 overs.

If Dan Mousley hadn’t defied the difficult batting conditions by scoring 74 to help Warwickshire’s recovery from 127-5, they might have been on the field already in search of those runs.

Ed Barnard and Will Young, who had a 117-run sixth-wicket partnership, made exactly the same 48 deliveries as Mousley did with Will Young earlier.

In a position where it would have been more difficult than 70-1, Nottinghamshire presumably would have preferred to send Warwickshire to lunch after choosing to bowl first.

Only Alex Davies, who was leg before the 10th ball of the match, was lost as a result of a wholly unforecast stoppage due to rain, who had just started the opening session.

Abbas, who is now back from a minor back issue, bowled seven overs that could have taken two or three wickets on a different day. Young and Rob Yates repeatedly played and missed other deliveries before scoring.

Another early wicket, Yates well held at second slip by Freddie McCann in Abbas’s second over, was delayed by 50 minutes due to more rain.

Although the sky cleared, Young’s patience and some nifty footwork remained a challenge.

He was about to reach half-century against his former county when he saved himself on 35 by saving the ball away from the stumps with the help of Dillon Pennington’s delivery, but he unexpectedly waved at a ball from Hutton outside off stump and paid the price.

A first bowling point for Nottinghamshire was enthusiastically lauded by the home crowd, who had already been defeated by Hampshire for just 147.

In a subsequent over, Sam Hain and Zen Malik were caught behind from a late ball by Lyndon James that moved to the edge of his defensive bat, which came two more wickets before tea.

Mousley and Barnard fought back in the middle session, which ended up being Nottinghamshire’s property, and he became more confident and aggressive as the partnership expanded, accelerating to a half-century from 62 balls, which he celebrated by dropping James back down the pitch for six.

However, with only one more half-hour left, left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White claiming the second bowling point with a caught-and-bowled to remove Barnard, before Abbas, who bowled quickly and straight with a second new ball in hand, dismissed Michael Booth and Ethan Bamber in consecutive deliveries.

Hutton put the finishing touches on Tazeem Ali by bowling Tazeem Ali, before Mousley hurried off, leaving Nottinghamshire within striking distance of the prize.

Mitchell Mann was given a frame after starting his British Open campaign against Gao Yang late because of a flat tire, but he rallied to win 4-3.

The 33-year-old had to leave his car after 10 minutes because he was already 1-0 up in the third round.

The world number 91 said, “I was completely stranded, and I had no spare tire.”

“Thankfully, my friends came pick me up when I called. One of them waited for the RAC with my car while one drove me to Cheltenham.

It’s a lesson I should have learned from last night’s drive down. My car is now where I don’t know where!

With a 4-1 victory over Bulcsu Revesz from Hungary, Mark Allen advanced to the third round.

Following his victory over Jiang Jun on Tuesday, the Antrim man won two games in a row.

Allen started well with a 60-second break and the opening two frames with a strong start.

Revesz, who shocked Ali Carter last year, came back strong in the third round to win the match.

The English Open champion, however, rallied in the fourth round with a 69 break to advance to the third round.

After winning 4-0 over England’s Reanne Evans, he will now face Mark Williams of Wales in his third-round match. Robbie McGuigan will face Ben Mertens of Antrim, while Robbie McGuigan will face Ben Mertens of Belgium.

Giovanni Leoni, a Liverpool defender, has a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury that will keep him out for months.

Before going off with the injury, the 18-year-old played 81 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup third-round victory over Southampton.

Leoni, who signed for Parma for £26 million plus add-ons in August, has since had knee tests.

According to sources, the center-back’s ACL has been damaged, which would likely prevent the teenager from playing for the majority of the season, if not for the entire season.

He is down because he didn’t immediately feel good about it. After Tuesday’s game, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot stated that “typically the emotions of a player tell you a lot.”

With Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez among the three players who have been injured, Slot currently has just three center-backs.

Federico Chiesa, a forward, and Leoni are among the candidates for inclusion in Liverpool’s Champions League squad.