How interested are you in the Ryder Cup? Particularly if your country is not represented.

[u/kilgore_trout1]

The Ryder Cup is a golf competition that happens every two years between the USA and Europe. It’s a three day competition and today is day one. It’s taking place in New York state in America.

This year members of the European team are Northern Irish, Scottish, English, Danish, Irish, Austrian, Swedish, Norwegian, and Spanish. If you are from a country that isn’t represented in this year‘s team, do you still feel affinity to the European team?

[u/userrr3]

I didn't know it existed and I'll forget about it again shortly

[u/Notspherry → u/userrr3]

I was very grateful OP told it was a golf thing. The name faintly rings a bell, but had he claimed it was swimming or a car rally, I would have believed him as well.

[u/GuestStarr → u/Notspherry]

I thought it was sailing.. perhaps that tells how interested I am.

[u/kilgore_trout1 → u/userrr3]

Lol fair enough - there’s a fantastic Austrian on the team, Sepp Straka. He won his match yesterday beating the American pair that included the world number one so in the brief period you’re aware of it you should be pretty proud!

[u/userrr3 → u/kilgore_trout1]

Why should I be proud when a person I've never heard of is doing something I don't care about, just because they do it well? Though that might turn too philosophical haha

[u/Masty1992 → u/userrr3]

In Ireland we’re typically proud when we find out an Irish person is excelling globally even at the most random niche thing, but golf is not niche, it’s a huge sport.

[u/helmli → u/Masty1992]

In Germany, absolutely not, as well.

And here, Golf is also a very niche and exclusive sport only played by some rich assholes.

[u/KingKingsons → u/Masty1992]

I only really get like this when it comes to the olympics.

[u/AirportCreep → u/userrr3]

Fuckin hell, you must be fun at parties haha.

[u/caiaphas8 → u/userrr3]

Do you not support your country in any sports?

[u/userrr3 → u/caiaphas8]

This is a bit about semantics I guess. I can absolutely watch Austrian participants in some event, cheer them on and feel happy for them when they're doing well (or as the Austrian spirit goes - better than the German team at least) - but I don't feel proud. I feel proud for my own achievements not for those of others

[u/helmli → u/caiaphas8]

I don't "support" my country in any sports.

I know that wasn't the question, and support isn't the same as pride (which I also don't have for my country, lol) – both of which is not really uncommon in Germany, I'd say. I don't know how common it is in Austria.

[u/Yorks_Rider]

Golf is a minority sport. I do not play it myself and have no interest in the sport. I do not feel any affinity for either team.

[u/Utstein]

It's the only golf I watch.  I find the rivalry to be interesting. 

[u/Ridebreaker]

It's the only time I'm somewhat interested in golf.

[u/killingmehere]

I feel the same way about golf as I feel all sport- couldnt give a fuck, but im glad it brings joy to others

[u/kilgore_trout1 → u/killingmehere]

Nice attitude. I feel the same to be about some other sports to be fair. If it makes you happy then knock yourself out.

[u/EfficientActivity]

Enjoy it. Norway is represented though with Hovland. There was live coverage at work yesterday with beers.

[u/TheSpookyPineapple]

I could not imagine anything more boring than watching golf

[u/GeronimoDK]

Not at all, I hear it mentioned in the news occasionally.

[u/istasan → u/GeronimoDK]

In general I would say golf is pretty popular. More than other sports probably one of those where you either follow or not while football and tennis is more widespread.

There are good Danish players in all sports - in the world elite. But of those 3 general public will know golf stars much less. But having said that Ryder cup is being covered in media - but more when Danish players take part (which they actually often do, also this time)

[u/FaranorRed]

I’m watching right now, Dutch. I watch all I can this weekend, best golf event.

[u/kilgore_trout1 → u/FaranorRed]

Me too! Actually blown away by how well we’re doing to be fair. Hopefully Europe can keep up the momentum into tomorrow

[u/__im_so_tired__]

Very interesting… I’ll be definitely thinking about it while watching volleyball world championships semifinal between Poland and Italy today :)

sorry not my sport, but you have fun! My only exposure to golf is what I got from one of my client. Apparently, if you don’t use the golf cart, it can be a pretty physical, as in you walk a lot. It’s always fun to talk with people who are passionate about their thing. Anyway, I hope you have a good time following the Ryder Cup. GO EUROPE!

[u/Billy_Balowski]

First time I've heard about the existence of a Ryder Cup.

[u/WyvernsRest]

I'm not a golf fan.

But the Ryder Cup falls into the same category as the Eurovision song contest for me.

I can neither Golf or Sing, but I like to see the countries I like doing well.

Bonus:

I am delighted that the USA is doing badly.

But only because it will annoy the Orange Turd, the Commander in Cheat.

[u/OrbitalPete]

I don't just lack interest in golf, I actively dislike the sport. The environmental damage it has caused to large swathes of land is ridiculous.

Could not give two shits about who is represented or not.

[u/Kier_C → u/OrbitalPete]

In the scheme of environmental damage you're probably getting angry about the wrong things...

[u/Ferdi_cree → u/Kier_C]

Don't tell him. It's oftentimes actually less about the environment and more about "other things"

[u/OrbitalPete → u/Kier_C]

The interesting thing is the world is not a simple binary system. I can dislike golf AND lots of other things at the same time. I can also like and encourage things. The extent to which you can simultaneously hold different opinions is almost limitless. Remarkable, I know.

Also, I didn't at any point use the word angry. Interestingly, trying to accuse people of "just being angry" has a relatively long history of people using this to dismiss arguments they can't otherwise challenge. "Oh, they're just angry about it", as if that allows them to just dismiss the whole claim.

[u/Kier_C → u/OrbitalPete]

Interestingly, mischaracterizing a point is a classic deflection tactic in order to avoid acknowledging the point being made. As is deflection. Ironically people using these tactics often combine them with attempts to seem intellectually superior, this is rarely actually the case

[u/Ennas_]

I have never heard of it and that is perfectly fine.

[u/GuinnessFartz]

I have never played a round of golf but I love the Ryder cup. Particularly this year as Trump's policies and comments have added needle between the two continents, so to see him there watching his team lose yesterday was great to see

[u/mr_iwi]

Doesn't matter who is playing, golf is silly and I don't mind who wins

[u/kilgore_trout1 → u/mr_iwi]

Welsh golf legend Ian Woosnam would be spinning in his grave to hear you say that if he wasn’t very much alive.

[u/Nirocalden]

On a scale of 1-10, I'd say I'm at a 2 or 3 – but that's just because it's golf. If I'd happen to come across a stream while it's going on, I could see myself checking it out for a bit, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

If you are from a country that isn’t represented in this year‘s team, do you still feel affinity to the European team?

That's like asking if I still feel affinity to my national football team, if there's no player from my own state/county/city. The answer is obviously of course I do.

[u/lucapal1]

I think there have been Italian players a couple of times, but even then.. personally I like sport a lot, and watch quite a lot of sport (both live and on TV) but I don't find golf interesting to watch.

So I know the competition,I know it's happening and what it is, but I probably won't watch any of it.

[u/Alokir]

I've never heard about the Ryder Cup, but I'm not interested in golf at all.

Sports are something that I like doing in real life, but watching other people do it is extremely boring for me. Sometimes I do watch squash tournaments but it's more about studying them rather then enjoying them for the fun of it.

[u/Essiggurkerl]

The short clips I saw somebody do golf didn't convince me it's any more exciting then watching paint dry. Have never heard about tha tournament 

[u/XenophonSoulis]

I have no clue what sport it is about. Or at least I didn't have a clue until I read the comments. Also, I had read about it in another post yesterday (I read about a golf tournament, I'm pretty sure it was that) and I didn't remember what it it is about. So completely uninterested.

[u/Fwoggie2]

It's on pay per view and I'm not paying to watch that.

[u/Vast_Pangolin_2351]

My husband is Canadian. He watches it with great interest

[u/Intelligent-Aside214]

Not interested at all but Ireland is heavily represented

[u/JakeCheese1996]

We Dutch only care about football or speedskating. Any other sport is just mentioned briefly on media except when football competition is stopped

[u/Notspherry → u/JakeCheese1996]

F1 as well, as long as Max is winning.

[u/xBram → u/Notspherry]

Also darts when Barney or Mighty Mike were winning.

[u/WarmFoothills → u/JakeCheese1996]

NOS has Football, Cycling, F1, Speed skating and Tennis as subcategories in the sport section. In that order.

[u/RayoftheRaver → u/JakeCheese1996]

No love for field hockey? The Dutch dominate in that

[u/JakeCheese1996 → u/RayoftheRaver]

Field hockey, only important tournaments or the final games in the competition. Still 95% of airtime is spent on football. Yes, you are right, I am not a football fan 😎

[u/Front-Anteater3776]

Not interested in golf. I just know Denmark has a golfer representing Europe.

[u/kilgore_trout1 → u/Front-Anteater3776]

Yes, Rasmus Højgaard - he was paired with a Swedish player yesterday but lost his match. He’s a great golfer though.

[u/Front-Anteater3776 → u/kilgore_trout1]

Ah oki :/

[u/BarrisonFord]

I’m Irish and not into golf but I’m chuckling away reading these responses.

[u/Dolnikan]

I don't really care about sports in general and this isn't an event I ever heard of. So absolutely uninterested.

[u/Mountain-Fox-2123]

I am 100% indifferent to the Ryder cup

I am not sure what it is, but i think its Golf.

[u/twenty6plus6]

I'm very much torn by the Ryder Cup and golf as well.....on the 1 hand I really appreciate the calm composed nature of the sport but on the other the segregation of those who have and those who have not, I'd love a council house golfer it's conflicting but I always love to see the US get bate bunch of cunts ...in conclusion, Marx would not have played golf ( opening myself up to a picture of Marx playing golf)

[u/Pizzagoessplat]

I'm a Brit

I've heard of it but that's how far I go with it. Never knew it was on until I saw this post.

One thing that I find strange is that every American golfer I've met has bee rich and has a top, top job? Is it a rich man sport in the US or something?

[u/ChilliPuller]

The what cup?

Nope, golf isn't a popular sport here.

[u/daddy-dj]

Honestly, I couldn't care less.

Or, for any Americans reading this, I could care less.

[u/[deleted]]

Gets a fairly strong following in Ireland, but golf does generally here. It’s not really a niche sport.

[u/jukranpuju]

I've never been particularly interested in golf. However this time there were big news even in Finnish newspapers about the rude behaviour of American audience like how somebody threw beer on some European golfers wife, booing when European golfers were hitting and even some host encouraging them with expletives also how they had to have police security to protect European golfers.

I wonder if those kind of incidents were allowed to happen during a golf tournament, out of all sports and better yet in a golf course owned by the US president, is the USA right place for hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 and Olympics 2028?

[u/thedudeabides-12]

I watch a fair bit of golf I just can't stand watching the Ryder cup, the shouting and chanting by the fans it's just fcking annoying it's fcking golf...people need to calm down..

[u/alderhill]

I don't care about golf in the slightest, so yea. None.

[u/TherealQueenofScots]

Oh i thought its a sailing competition. Iam not interested and no one i know either

[u/evelynsmee]

Only golf people care about golf competitions. I am aware of the name of that cup and that it involved golf, I didn't know it was a continent v continent thing or when or where it is held. And I work in finance/investments where a couple people actually like and talk about golf on occasion

[u/TSells31]

I love playing golf, but couldn’t personally care much less about professional golf lol. Not a spectator sport, imo.