is the real deal.At only 13 years of age I think he ha

CHASKA, Minn. -- Thomas Pieters has a lot to live up to on his debut at the Ryder Cup for Europe at Hazeltine National.Not only is he the one -- out of six rookies -- on the teams roster who has been repeatedly tipped to make a big impact, hes also expected to observe a national tradition.If it works out well, he still has to fulfill my legacy by being the last person standing at the bar, which is quite important in Belgium, said former Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsaerts. Were proud of being pretty good partyers.Belgium is also proud of Colsaerts one appearance in the biennial contest with Team USA, which also happened to be the first by a Belgian.His debut four years ago at Medinah has been described as one of the best in the competitions history, making eight birdies and an eagle to prevent Europe from being shutout in the Friday afternoon four-balls competition.If following that as the next Belgian was not enough for Pieters, he also has to deal with the doubts that have been raised about Darren Clarkes team being half-filled with rookies.Danny Willett may be a Masters champion but Pieters, Chris Wood, Andy Sullivan, Matthew Fitzpatrick and?Rafael Cabrera Bello?have not reached such heights.If there was such a thing as an average world ranking for a group, the five after Willett would all be at No. 52, and there is no one saying Team USA doesnt look strong.The minute you have that many rookies on your team there are going to be question marks, said Mark James, the former European Ryder Cup player and captain and ESPN columnist.There is no baggage, and you are more likely to get five rounds out of them because they are generally younger, but they dont know what to expect. And if the crowd is at all hostile, it is going to make them feel that much worse.The fans, the atmosphere and the responsibility of fighting for a team rather than yourself seem to be the key things working against rookie success at the Ryder Cup.The competition is just so different to those played on the European or PGA Tours, and countless players have described it as a test of a players mettle.You have to be mentally strong, Colsaerts told ESPN. In America, the banter is not the same, its much more direct abuse than you get in Europe, where its a bit more subtle and more of a football atmosphere, with more singing and that sort of thing.You have to know youre going to hear stupid stuff coming out from the crowd, and you have to be strong, to make sure the only thing you really worry about is what is happening on the course and what you need to do to perform at your best and bring back points.Its become a much bigger gig in the last few years, too, with all the press work you have to do, running around fulfilling requests. And when the show starts on Friday, its pretty intense.So full-on is the buildup, that it has the potential to make or break players before they even start. Americas rookies, Brooks Koepka and Ryan Moore, particularly, have had the outpouring of emotion after Arnold Palmers death to deal with in this edition, for example. And there always seems to be an issue or an incident that has an impact.The attention on the Ryder Cup and the vibe that goes with it is unique. After all, when else would a group of golfers have the backing of a 13th-man campaign -- which the PGA of America launched on Tuesday -- with a pledge for fans backing Team USA?Its a very different week -- a lot busier than you imagine -- and you can burn yourself out emotionally with the adrenaline, said Europes Lee Westwood, who will play in his 10th Ryder Cup this week.Everybody is talking about it a year in advance -- it gets hyped up very early. Its a long time to carry that excitement. By the time Friday comes around, you can have almost worn yourself out.Then, of course, there is the small matter of swinging your club at the ball.I underestimated what it was going to be like, Rory McIlroy recalled on Tuesday. I had been to Ryder Cups before -- played in the Junior Ryder Cup. I thought I knew what it was like.But theres nothing like walking onto that first tee and feeling that rush and soaking in the atmosphere. You think youve played under pressure, but you havent.Colsaerts obviously coped well with his first proper exposure to the Ryder Cup, but even he joked that when you stand there at the start over the ball, You have no idea where its going to go, and thats a little bit frightening. You take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and hope for the best.A blind approach was not in the advice the 33-year-old Belgian offered Pieters, 24, in any of their many chats about the game and the Ryder Cup. They have been talking for years, with Colsaerts helping Pieters most when he first started to make his name and in the buildup to Hazeltine.He has passed on pretty much everything useful he can think of, even sending over clips of previous editions so that his Belgian successor has a better idea of what is about to happen.Colsaerts has no doubts that Pieters will handle everything brilliantly, and he isnt the only one. The world No. 39 is a great driver of the ball and good around the greens. Laid back and, apparently, with a good sense of humour, he also has the advantage of having played in the U.S. at the University of Illinois.He ticks a lot of boxes, said Colsaerts, who claimed many of the team have indicated theyd be pleased to be paired with Pieters, who has won three European Tour titles. Hes not afraid to go after it. Hes been playing pretty well and really shown he wants to be a part of the adventure. Thats key in a team environment.Colsaerts has expressed faith in Europes other rookies, too. Clarke has also given them his vote of confidence, and Westwood and others on the team have shown support. They kind of have to though, whatever doubts they may harbour.Wood, one of those rookies under the spotlight, is more passionate about it, and he is a mild-mannered man.We havent got Ryder Cup experience, but we can all play, Wood said. Were not a few duffers who have got into the team. We have all won big events in the last year and know how to play. We have got an unbelievable vice-captain team to help us through our inexperience of the Ryder Cup.There is bound to be a changing of the guard at some point. The Americans went through it a couple of years ago, and they still gave us a good run for our money at Gleneagles.We know we can win the Ryder Cup again. It is just a question of handling the experience, being away, the crowd. The golf side, the rookies will handle just fine. 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Custom Yankees Jerseys ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Cheap Yankees Jerseys . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.Rory McIlroy has invited Northern Irish teenager Tom McKibbin to play alongside him in the pro-am ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on May 18. McKibbin, 13, took up golf just before his ninth birthday and won the Junior Honda Classic in Florida earlier this year.In August 2015 he won the World Junior Championships aged 12, an event McIlroy won at the age of nine. Tom McKibbin is a great talent, said McIlroy, whose foundation is hosting the Irish Open for the second year. I played a round with Tom in Florida recently and he is the real deal.At only 13 years of age I think he has a remarkable golfing future ahead of him. Having seen him play a couple of times now, he impresses me more each time.I can think of no better place to showcase his talents than at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at the K Club. McIlroy has been impressed by what he has seen of McKibbin McKibbin, who is from County Antrim, said: I met Rory while I was in Dubai last October and we got chatting while we were both practising.ddddddddddddWhen I won the Honda Classic in Florida in January, Rory sent me a message and invited me to play golf with him.I have to thank Rory for inviting me to play in the pro-am at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. Not only do I get a day off school, but I get to play alongside one of the best golfers in the world!Its getting close now and Im pretty excited. Ive been practising as often as possible.Watch the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on Sky Sports. Coverage begins on May 19 on Sky Sports 4 HD at 10am. Also See: EuropeanTour Schedule Watch online Golf live on Sky Sports 4 Free HD Golf Game ' ' '