Independence Day: Top 5 Team USA golf moments of the last 20 years
The 2016 Ryder Cup was special for a lot of reasons, but one of the best parts of that week was also one of the saddest.
As players arrived in the Minneapolis suburb of Chaska, Minn., the golf world learned that it had lost one of its most treasured members. The King himself, Arnold Palmer passed away just days before the competition, and that loss was felt around the world.
Mr. Palmer was a figure that bridged generations, and his mere presence inspired anybody who was fortunate enough to be around him. I never had the privilege of meeting the man myself, but as I walked the grounds at Hazeltine, you could tell that he was on the mind of nearly every person there.
The Ryder Cup itself became an impromptu memorial to the man who touched so many lives. A large mural of Palmer became a place for attendees to write their goodbye to the King, and both sides paid tribute to him on the first tee box.
Arnie's bag on the 1st tee of the #RyderCup ❤️ pic.twitter.com/V0WB1rJ9p3
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 30, 2016
Palmer’s bag from the 1975 Ryder Cup – an American victory in his home state of Pennsylvania – sat nearby as players struck their opening shots. Fans chanted his name. The energy was electric. I won’t put all the credit for the American win on this moment, but I will say this: it sure didn’t hurt, either.
As the American team celebrated with its fans, high-fiving each other, spraying champagne and kissing their wives (except Rickie Fowler, of course…), you knew that Mr. Palmer would have been proud.