We feel like kings, says Alex Noren of Hero Cup set up in Abu Dhabi

Alex Noren could easily have been talking about how he felt after joining forces with Thomas Pieters to take down the star Great Britain and Ireland pairing of Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry in the Hero Cup when he talked about “feeling like kings”.

Thomas Pieters and Alex Noren celebrate beating Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry on the opening day of the new Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

But the Swede, who won the Scottish Open on its last visit to Castle Stuart in 2016, was actually referring to how the players in both teams are being treated off the course in the new team event being staged at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Both Noren and Pieters have played in Ryder Cups, so they already know the attention in detail that goes into being part of a European team, but, for the majority of the others, this week is a new experience in the professional ranks.

“It's great,” said Noren of the set up for the event, which is effectively being run by the same team that will deliver the Ryder Cup in Rome in September. “It's amazing what they do for us.

“We feel like kings in the locker room and everybody helps out, like all the physios are here, all the nutritionists and all the ex-captains and new captains. It just feels like we want to win the Ryder Cup back and they want to try to do everything they can. They really are pushing.”

Noren was part of a winning team in France in 2018 while Pieters ended up on a defeated side at Hazeltine two years earlier despite picking up four points from five games as a rookie. Both players would be useful for Luke Donald to have in his side for the latest edition of the biennial bout.

“It was great,” said Noren of the pair putting the first point on the board in what is effectively a preparation for the Ryder Cup. “We've known each other a long time."

Francesco Molinari, the Continental Europe captain, has retained Noren and Pieters as his opening group for the first of two foursomes sessions on Saturday.

Full pairings:

7.35am Thomas Pieters/Alex Noren v Ewen Ferguson/Richard Mansell

7:45am Sepp Straka/Thomas Detry v Tommy Fleetwood/Tyrrell Hatton

7:55am Francesco Molinari/Nicolai Hojgaard v Callum Shinkwin/Matt Wallace

8:05am Antoine Rozner/Adrian Meronk v Jordan Smith/Bob MacIntyre

8:15am Victor Perez/Guido Migliozzi v Shane Lowry/Seamus Power