Ryder Cup fans fill 1st tee grandstands, start chanting before sunrise at Gleneagles

There’s nothing like the first tee at the Ryder Cup, and this year’s atmosphere at Gleneagles appears to be setting a new standard. It was always going to be tough to beat the 2012 first tee at Medinah, where Bubba Watson whipped the crowds into a frenzy and took his first swing as the crowd roared, preferring that over the normal silence golfers request.

But according to Golf Channel’s Frank Nobilo, spectators started gathering around the gates and the first tee as early as 4:40 a.m. local time in Scotland, almost three hours before the first match. Over an hour before the first match, the stands were nearly full with the European contingent already chanting.

The crews at Gleneagles had different spotlights in the area that are largely there to assist the maintenance crews after sunset and before sunrise. Even the spotlights got in on the pre-dawn party and made the grandstands look like a club at 6 a.m. local.

While the crowd was almost exclusively European fans wearing the different colors of their countries, there were a two lone USA supporters out there early. These brave souls looked a bit chilly though.

It’s going to be wild when Bubba and Webb Simpson arrive on the first tee against the home team’s Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose.