As dawn breaks in Wales, a greenkeeper can be found adding some finishing touches to the 18th at Celtic Manor as the country hosts the Ryder Cup for the first time
With the sun up, the US team emerge on to the Twenty Ten course with the trophy they won by a five-point margin two years ago at Valhalla
Despite his recent poor form, Tiger Woods's number one ranking and superb overall career record is enough to persuade captain Corey Pavin to pick him for the US
Hoping to thwart their dreams of retaining the cup is Northern Irish US Open winner Graeme McDowell who comes into the tournament on the back of a very successful summer
European vice-captain Darren Clarke jokes with team-mate Edoardo Molinari as the Italian prepares to get his practice session under way
Rory McIlroy, another highly-rated player from Northern Ireland, will also hope to shine for Europe over the coming days
Having already played in three Ryder Cups, 46-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez will look to use his experience to give Europe the edge at Celtic Manor
With the photocall over, Woods heads out for his first proper look at the Twenty Ten course amid rather gloomy conditions
Among the debutants at this year's event is German Martin Kaymer, a 25-year-old who arrives in Wales as the reigning USPGA champion after winning a play-off at Whistling Straits
He is captained by Colin Montgomerie who will have to make a number important decisions over pairings as the tournament progresses
Ian Poulter, Europe's top scorer in 2008, and wildcard Luke Donald sign autographs for a number of lucky fans who make the journey to the Newport-based course
At number three in the world, Lee Westwood is Europe's highest-ranked player and with the experience of having played in six previous Ryder Cups much will be expected of him
The selection of Padraig Harrington ahead of higher-ranked players has raised a few eyebrows, putting even more pressure on the Irish golfer to perform well from the off
After narrowly missing out on the USPGA crown, the US's Dustin Johnson is another of those who will be playing in the transatlantic contest for the first time
One of the best putters in the business, world number four Steve Stricker failed to win during his one previous appearance in 2008 so will attempt to do much better this time
The highly rated 21-year-old Rickie Fowler becomes the first ever US Tour rookie to make his country's team but finds himself having to negotiate some rough in front of a group of admiring spectators
The youngster proves popular with autograph hunters as he is paired with the vastly experienced world number two Phil Mickelson for his first practice round
A matchplay specialist, Ross Fisher executes a shot as he gets used to the challenges of the beautiful course that will become the centre of the golfing world for many fans this weekend
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