Rookie Rose Faces the Most Fearful Moment

In the life of every professional golfer the first shot of the Ryder Cup holds a unique place, being both one of the most anticipated and most fearful moments of his career. "I'm ready for it," Justin Rose insisted yesterday before a nervous smile betrayed the fact that this might have been more wishful thinking than unbendable truth.

If the Englishman, who has been around the upper echelons of the game for so long it is hard to believe he will be making his debut in the competition this week, was nervous he had no cause to feel ashamed. The unique pressures of a Ryder Cup week get to everyone, even the best, as those who had to take evasive action when Tiger Woods snap-hooked his opening tee shot at the K Club in 2006 will testify.

"Pressure can only get so bad and the Ryder Cup is as bad as it gets," conceded the PGA tour veteran Mark Calcavecchia, who won an Open championship but will probably be best remembered for blowing a four-hole lead with four holes remaining in his 1991 single match against Colin Montgomerie. "Perspective is what usually comes after you blow it. You try to tell yourself, 'Hey, it's just a game, I tried it, I blew it.' Then you go home and see your kids."

If these were hardly comforting words for the 10 "rookies" playing in this week's event - six on the US team, four for Europe - then there was scarcely any more encouragement to be found in the reminiscences of Paul Casey, for whom this week represents his third appearance. "Both my previous Ryder Cups were scary but to be honest the first time was probably the scariest, at Oakland Hills in 2004," he said. "I didn't play on the Friday but on Saturday I played with David Howell, best ball. The one thing that [the European captain Bernhard] Langer said to us was, 'Routine, guys. You've done it hundreds, thousands of times before. Stick to your routine'.

"I think Howell went first and hit the fairway, which made it even worse. I could top it, I could hit it right, I could hit it anywhere - the things that go through your head are just ... hopefully you don't want anything to go through your head. In the end I hit a driver, scuffed it out there. I'm the only person who knows how much I missed the centre of the club, but it went straight."

Rose and his fellow debutants will have heard endless such stories in the build-up to this year's competition - but they have all come with an important caveat. "It is important to realize that it's just the first shot and it doesn't dictate how you will play for the rest of the week," the 28-year-old Englishman said, citing his appearance in the 1997 Walker Cup - the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup - as an invaluable experience when it comes to coping this week. "That was one of the most nervous things I have ever done and I ended up having a fantastic week," he added.

Some of the rookies at Valhalla this week, the likes of Boo Weekley and Soren Hansen, do not have that Walker Cup experience to draw on and have sought guidance from colleagues, albeit with varying degrees of success, it seems. "I've been enjoying it," said Lee Westwood when asked how he had found the role of consiglieri to the new boys. "I've got a lot of Ryder Cup experience now and I have a lot to give back. That is one of the responsibilities of being one of the experienced players."

The world No2, Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, was dismissive when asked if he felt any pressure to inspire the other members of the team. "My only responsibility is to play well," he said.