University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Take In the Ryder Cup
10/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Every four years, the Ryder Cup returns to American soil. This year, Minnesota had the honor of hosting the prestigious tournament for the first, and likely last, time.
Not only did the Gophers have the chance to see the best-of-the-best compete up close and in person, they saw the Americans claim the Ryder Cup for the first time in eight years. Several members of the Minnesota men's golf team took in a practice round and witnessed firsthand what the atmosphere and excitement the tournament brought.
"The quality of play was at its highest level," coach John Carlson said of the experience. "Not only were the best guys in the world there playing, they were also playing at their best. The environment with 70,000 fans out there screaming and yelling made for a special environment."
Costa Rica native Jose Mendez did not know what to expect, taking in his first ever Ryder Cup.
"The atmosphere was amazing," Mendez said. "I was surprised. It was amazing how many people were at these holes. There were probably 25,000 people just at two holes. People were just so happy to be there."
The senior attended the practice round with the team and went to Friday's round by himself. He tried to follow the Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth group, but the crowd was too large for him to see anything. "I ended up going to the 15th hole and waiting two and a half hours for them to go through."
For Grady Meyer, seeing the Ryder Cup was a chance for the team to learn from watching the best golfers in the world.
"We were looking at how are they swinging, how are they behaving on the course," Meyer said. "We were seeing how they attack the course and how they played."
Meyer was also able to take in Sunday's final round, an experience he will never forget.
"When people say the Ryder Cup is a whole other level, you don't really know that until you go," he said. "The national pride is probably stronger than the Olympics to be honest. Everyone felt together and connected."
The senior compared the noise to a sold out Vikings football game, something you do not see often in golf. "I felt chills down my spine just from the experience and the noise."
The tournament took place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., a course the Gophers practice at frequently.
"It was amazing to see the pros play the same course that we do," Mendez said. "They just played it so well."
"Just having that personal connection to the course was really cool," Meyer added. "Seeing where we hit it, where the pros hit it and attack it was awesome."
While most of the Gophers celebrated an American victory, not all members of the team were thrilled with the outcome. Rúnar Arnorsson, an Iceland native, went to the tournament on Sunday. Though the outcome did not go the way he wanted, he was not phased by the loss.
"It wasn't too bad," he said. "I'll stick with the Europeans even though they lost. They've won more than the Americans in the last few years. It's fun. The guys didn't give me too much grief about it."
Seeing the Ryder Cup was about more than just the America versus Europe for Arnorsson, it was a chance to see world-class golfers in person.
"We're all used to seeing them on the TV, and we always think they're not human," he said. "But then you look at them walking around and just minding their own game."
In addition to the tournament being hosted in Minnesota, former University of Minnesota golf star Tom Lehman served as the vice captain for the US. The significance of a Gopher hoisting the Ryder Cup in his home state was not lost for the team.
"It means a lot for the program," Mendez said. "People might not think there are good golfers in Minnesota and I think Tom Lehman proved them wrong."
"Tom is a good friend of our program," Carlson said. "For our guys to know that one of our Gopher alums is walking the fairways with the 12 best golfers on the American side is amazing."
