Wild players eager for start of Ryder Cup this weekend

ST. PAUL -- Wild captain Mikko Koivu isn't one for shows of emotion. But told the first match of the 2018 Ryder Cup gets underway at 1:10 a.m. local time on Friday morning, Koivu's facial expression immediately tensed.
"Seriously?" he wondered, clearly disappointed.
For Koivu, and many others inside the Wild dressing room, the Ryder Cup is no different than the Super Bowl or The Masters ... it's appointment viewing.

And rest assured, the trash talking between the European fans in the room, like Koivu and Joel Eriksson Ek, and the host of players pulling for the American team, including Devan Dubnyk, Marcus Foligno and others.
"I love watching it. I don't move from the couch much when it's on," Foligno said. "We'll usually try and get the guys together and do something with the Americans and the Euros on the team. They're already talking smack but I think we'll put them in their place."
Even Koivu admits the American team, led by Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, boasts a potent lineup that will be hard to beat.

"I think if you go player for player, the U.S. guys are pretty hot right now," Koivu said. "But if you look at history, there's gotta be something the Euro fans do because they always seem to play well on home soil]. But if you look at the stats, there's so many good players that it's impossible to say who's going to win it."
The United States won the Ryder Cup two years ago at Hazeltine in Chaska but haven't won back to back Cups since 1991 and 1993. And they haven't won on European soil in 25 years. This year's tournament takes place at the Albatros Course of Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, a suburb of Paris.
"I think the fan base is a little bit different in Europe. I think it's a little more soccer-like," Koivu said. "So that's a pretty cool atmosphere. I've never been [to a Ryder Cup] in Europe, but I'm sure it's pretty cool."
Players like Koivu and Dubnyk have a different perspective of the Ryder Cup this year after attending the event when it was in the Twin Cities in 2016.
The two fan bases are very different, but the pressures and the stages the players are on are similar. And as professional athletes themselves, they simply marveled at what they are able to accomplish under the brightest of bright lights.
"It blew me away, the hostility that was there for a golf tournament," Dubnyk said. "Just a crazy atmosphere, huge celebrations back and forth between the two teams. It's just a unique scenario for golf and it's super special and fun to watch."
This year's event has been made even more special with Woods regaining his old playing form. The PGA legend won last weekend's Tour Championship, his first win on tour in five years and the 80th of his career.
Woods, who is playing in his first Ryder Cup in six years, finished second in race for this year's FedEx Cup.
A huge fan of Tiger, Foligno said having him in the tournament along with so many of the Americans' young players will make for a fun weekend.
"I don't remember too many of his early wins, I remember things just before they went in that downhill spiral and the tough times," Foligno said. "But being able to see this comeback that he's making, it just goes to show you he's the best in the world and it's great to have him back and playing well."
Even Koivu said he respects the way Woods has rebounded from tough times in his career, and how good it is to have Woods back on top.
"And not just golf, but life in general. Everyone talks about the game, but I think it's something you should always remember is, there's going to be tough times," Koivu said. "If you look a little bit deeper, there's a lot to learn from him. It hasn't been easy for him, so it's pretty cool to see him back."
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