GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy -- The Ryder Cup gets underway under the steaming Italian sun on Friday at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, with favorites America looking to end a 30-year wait for a win on European soil.
The American team has waited a long time to take that gold trophy back across the Atlantic, but Europe is not going to let that proud home record end any time soon. The conditions will be brutal, with oppressive heat and an undulating course making legs feel heavier than ever, especially if a player is trying to come from behind.