We're not playing the Soviet Union here. We're not even playing Putin's Russia, which would be a contest worth all of the red, white and blue toggery and "USA, USA'' chants at Hazeltine National.
When David Johnson heckled Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan on Thursday during Ryder Cup practice, Henrik Stenson invited him to come out to the putting surface and show the world how it's done.
The 27-year-old from Northern Ireland has grown into a leader on the European team and has taken the lead in needling his opponents from the United States.
Pete Willett went on a rant about American golf fans in a UK golf publication, setting off an unexpected and unwelcome firestorm for Danny Willett and Team Europe.
The talent the United States is bringing to this 12-player, 28-match competition is astounding. There's only one way the Yanks are going to lose this time to Europe -- and that's if they choke.
Somebody asked two-time major champion and U.S. team member Jordan Spieth to "paint a picture" of what it felt and sounded and smelled like his first time in the Ryder Cup in Scotland two years ago. He actually HAS commissioned a painting of it.
We've known officially for 14 years that Hazeltine National would be host to three magnificent golf tournaments: the PGA Championship in 2002 and 2009 plus the Ryder Cup in 2016.
After the U.S. lost the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles two years ago, Phil Mickelson hammered team captain Tom Watson. Now he's gone after another former captain.
The first official practice day included the celebrity golf competition, team pictures and team bonding activities with jokes and laughter the common theme.
Phelps on the golf course looks like a regular guy (albeit a tall guy with a clear swimmer's build). He crushed his drive down the middle on the first hole — prompting one fan to remark, "He does everything right" — but Phelps' approach was beyond the green and his putt missed the mark.
U.S. Ryder Cup golfers walked over a stone bridge named in Payne Stewart's memory and onto Hazeltine's seventh fairway, some not old enough to have known the man who is linked to the course and this week's competition..
The Ryder Cup takes a couple dozen professional golfers who spend most of their time obsessed with swing thoughts, practice, money, sponsorships, money, majors and money, and changes the way their brains and hearts work for a week.
Jack Nicklaus had watched Ballesteros, a 19-year-old Spaniard, go into the final round of a 1976 British Open two strokes behind Johnny Miller. He saw this kid's aura of greatness and decided that Seve could bring some life to the dull Ryder Cup.
The Best Golf Team Ever Assembled part of a radio interview went around the world on the Internet. On Tuesday, Love tried to put his comments in context.
U.S. captain Davis Love III had little choice but to reward Moore for his excellent play over the past two months, especially when he pushed Euro star Rory McIlroy to four playoff holes to finish as the runner-up at the Tour Championship.
They've never won a major themselves, but four European players stood tallest with the Ryder Cup heat turned up high. Their teams have gone 8-2 against the Americans since 1995.