Early fog gave way to a warm and brilliant day, drawing an estimated 51,000 people to Hazeltine around noon. The Golf Channel said the crowd was the biggest in Ryder Cup history.
The Europeans were skunked in Friday morning's matches but made a rousing comeback in the afternoon and trail 5-3 heading into Saturday's action. Gates open at 6:30 a.m.
Rafa Cabrera Bello had two hole-winning birdies in his first seven Ryder Cup holes. Rory McIlroy's match-clinching eagle came after rookie partner Thomas Pieters won four holes to McIlroy's three.
The long lead-up is over; it's time to play some high-intensity golf at Hazeltine National. Play will begin with four morning matches that start with two young Americans facing Europe's Olympic gold and silver medalists.
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.