When Rory McIlroy walks to the first tee for Friday morning’s fourballs he will be greeted by the peculiar sight of eight men dressed in Smurf blue and canary yellow belting out a tune in his honour. “Glory Glory Hallelujah! Mine eyes have seen the Rory, And he’s come to take Paris! We step closer to victory with every shot he hits, Eur-ope goes marching on!”

McIlroy will not be the only one. Throughout the weekend the eight‑man ensemble, who call themselves the Guardians of the Cup, will serenade each of Europe’s 12 players with a particular ditty to inspire them, just like they have done in previous Ryder Cups. And while they might not be everyone’s cup of tea – some have likened them to the vuvuzelas that parped discordantly throughout the 2010 World Cup – they have a confirmed fan in Paul McGinley, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain in 2014.

“We love atmosphere and the players thrive off it,” says McGinley. “And where those guys are really important is keeping the crowd going. On Sunday morning the opening tee‑time is 11.05am while the stands and the gates open at 7am, leaving a lot of time to hang around. But they keep the fans buoyant and build that excitement. I’m all for it.”

It was McGinley who helped to make the Guardians legit, running over to celebrate and have pictures taken with them after Europe won in 2014. “That was quite a big moment because that was when we realised the players knew who we were,” Cary Curtis, one of the choir, tells the Guardian.

“That was quite cool and we got to have a drink with them after 2016, too.

“Since then we had some messages from them as well as wives contacting us to ask what their husband’s songs are. But it is just our way of us supporting the team.

“We know that the guys get really nervous on that first tee, as it’s unlike anything they have to go through, and we have been told that when they find some friendly faces in the crowd it helps them settle down.”

Another member, Bob Easton, says that to get the best seats the Guardians will arrive each day before the gates open and then run to the stands by the 1st tee, which turned out to be a two‑mile journey in Hazeltine. “But it will be worth it to greet the rookies with You’ll Never Walk Alone and hopefully cheer Europe on to victory.”