The USA fans were in spirited form as the 37th Ryder Cup kicked off Friday. Here is an open thread about the first morning of the Ryder Cup.
PADDY'S NECK (10:05 a.m. ET): On the ninth hole prior to teeing off, Padraig Harrington had some quick physical therapy on his neck. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Harrington missed a short birdie opportunity that would have won the hole. That first match remains all square.
CHEERING MISSED PUTTS (9:52 a.m. ET): USA Captain Paul Azinger may have raised a few eyebrows at Thursday night's pep rally when he told the pro-American crowd to "cheer missed putts" this week.
At least one newspaper in Great Britain didn't hesitate to jump on the story but officials reportedly were checking to see if the comment was perhaps misinterpreted or made tongue-in-cheek.
EUROPE SURGING (9:40 a.m. ET): The Justin Rose-Ian Poulter combo has heated up, with three straight birdies to go 2-up over Chad Campbell and Stewart Cink. Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington has rolled in some key putts to offset some wayward driving by himself and partner Robert Karlsson in the opening match.
In fact, Europe currently has the lead in three of the four matches, with the other match all-square. Not the kind of start the U.S. and Captain Paul Azinger was hoping for to set the tone this week.
USA FLAG APPEARS (9:25 a.m. ET): It took 80 minutes but the U.S. finally has the lead in one of the matches, thanks to a putt by Justin Leonard to give him and partner Hunter Mahan the lead over Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey. But Europe leads in two of the three other matches.
PEP RALLY (9 a.m. ET): The Ryder Cup may have officially begun at 8:05 a.m. at Valhalla, but you couldn't prove that to the thousands gathered in downtown Louisville for a pep rally Thursday night.
The patriotic fury began early as Kentucky coach Rick Pitino made an appearance, as did a lookalike of Col. Harlan Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken frame. But it was U.S. Captain Paul Azinger who really whipped the crowd into a frenzy -- working the stage with the zeal of a revival preacher.
Around 9:15 p.m., Azinger surprised the crowd by bringing his team out on the stage and introducing each one. Most were clad casually in jeans and "13th Man" t-shirts -- and they threw more of the signature attire to the fans. The U.S. captain encouraged the fans to wear blue on Saturday and red on Sunday to correspond with the U.S. team's color scheme. -- Helen Ross
WEATHER UPDATE (8 a.m. ET): Should be perfect conditions throughout the day Friday. Temperatures will reach the mid-80s this afternoon with winds generally east-southeast from 5-10 mph. No precipitation in the forecast, either today or the weekend.
Reported by Ryder Cup (www.rydercup.com)
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