Europe's Ryder Cup team received an inspiring phone call from Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, who had a glittering Ryder Cup career as a player and captain ahead of this weekend's contest at Celtic Manor.
Skipper Colin Montgomerie said the call was "motivational" but also "sad", as Ballesteros is still recovering after operations to remove a brain tumour.
Wales rugby icon Gareth Edwards and former Ryder Cup skippers Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance also met the team.
Ballesteros, who won five major championships, played in eight Ryder Cups - winning 20 and halving five of his 37 matches. His poor health means he will be unable to attend this year's event but Montgomerie says his speech on Tuesday was a massive inspiration to his team.
"The whole team spoke to Seve for about 10 minutes and that was very motivational, very passionate and also very sad to hear him, to hear the way he is," said Montgomerie.
"It was a real inspiration, especially for the rookies in the team, to speak to Seve and have Seve speak to them. It was on a speakerphone in our team room.
"We were just honoured to have him, have his presence in the room. It's always nice to not ever feel that Seve is forgotten by us or by European golf in any way, shape or form.
"It definitely bonds a team, if it needed bonding, together, very close, when Seve, our legend, speaks to us.
"It was just a very passionate speech that he used to give to the team 13 years ago when he was captain.
"The passion is very, very strong within Seve for us as a team and he just wishes that he could be here. Obviously he was invited to be here and he couldn't make it."
Montgomerie said the speeches from Ballesteros and Edwards were important and added that his team are determined to win back the trophy they lost in Valhalla in 2008.
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