Team Europe know what they are walking into when the Ryder Cup begins in New York today.

That is why Luke Donald has 11 of his 12 players from Rome , with Rasmus Hojgaard the only rookie.

Seven of these guys have played an away game before - and the rest have done it on VR headsets programmed to abuse them .

But nothing will truly prepare them for the reality of 5,000 screaming New Yorkers behind the first tee at 7.10am on Day One.

And back in 2004, David Howell was thrown in at the deep end.

Making his debut on foreign soil, the former Europe star insists he will never forget the moment it hit him for the first time.

Howell told talkSPORT: "My big memory of that away atmosphere came on the 11th hole in my opening match as a rookie with Paul Casey.

"We were coming around the c

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