United States rookie Tony Finau made an anxious start to the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National near Paris.

The 29-year-old was given the honour of teeing off first in the morning fourballs and smashed a three-iron 300 yards down the fairway, so far it rolled out through the rough and right up against the sleepers guarding the edge of the lake.

It meant he would have an impossible stance for his second shot into a green guarded by water.

His team-mate Brooks Koekpa found the fairway as did Europe’s pair of Justin Rose and Jon Rahm, the rookie who showed no first tee nerves by encouraging the near 7,000-capacity grandstand to make as much noise as they could.