View from the first tee: 'The Ryder Cup transcends golf. This is like Glastonbury and Wimbledon rolled into one'
Le Golf National was still shrouded in early hours darkness when the chants began.
Eight Britons dressed as bananas were among tens of thousands of home supporters leading choruses of "Europe till I die", "allez allez allez" and "Seve is our hero" to drown out the repetitive drawl of "U-S-A" from the visiting fans.
By 7.30am, the main grandstand off the first tee was packed to the rafters, the only notable absentees being a couple of rows of spare seats reserved for the big-money corporate customers.
"It's absolutely electric," said Marc Scott, 48, from Birmingham, who had arrived with his son James at 6am to get a decent view. "The hairs on the neck stand up when you see everyone come together like this."
While the rest of Europe was still stirring from its slumber, an eccentric French MC was broadcasting across the course to get the party started from 6am. The setlist was 1990s French discotheque cheese, but the crowds were more than willing to join in, singing along in unison to choruses of Hey Baby by DJ Otzi and Get Ready for This by Dutch group 2 Unlimited.
After dawn practice surrounded by French National Gendarmeri, the fourballs teed off to a crescendo of noise, chants, and several Icelandic thunderclaps, led at one point by US captain Jim Furyk.
Organisers estimated more than 30,000 spectators had already arrived for the first tee shortly after 8am local time. USA's first pair up - Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau - were greeted by a series of mock boos, but the crowd fell deadly quiet for the first swing. Finau's effort then came agonisingly close to bouncing straight into the drink. The relief on his face was palpable amid the collective sigh of disappointment in the stands.
After Justin Rose got the Europeans under way, Jon Rahm, the Ryder Cup rookie, showed he was revelling in the moment by daring to call for more noise from the crowd before taking to the tee. The Spaniard had said he would listen to four of five track on his headphones beforehand - probably from Eminem's new album. Rahm then showed the swagger of a hip hop star waving his arms to gee up the crowd before his first effort. He then showed nerves of steel by driving straight down the fairway.
Fellow new boy Thorbjorn Olesen was up next for Europe in the second fourballs match, but he won't relish the memory as much, having sent his first first ever Ryder Cup shot straight into the drink. The poor Dane will be bracing himself for more stick, having already been getting it in the neck from his teammates for being the only singleton.
With the sun rising over the spectacular setting near Paris, the anticipation built again for the arrival of golf's own megastar. Tiger Woods arrived to chats of "Tiger, give us a wave" as he walked through the crowds flanked by coaching staff and at least two French police officers. The crowd grew impatient for a response. Woods eventually gave a trademark tip of the cap.
There would be no stirring crowd wind ups from Woods, who strode immediately up to the tee, and fired his first effort with typically machine-like precision.
With standing room only for the box office event, fan James Edwards, 42, from Herefordshire, was his tiptoes to try and catch a glimpse of his hero.
"This transcends golf," he said. "It's like Glastonbury and Wimbledon rolled into one. Where else in the morning would you get supporters screaming their hearts out at 7am?"
