Michael Jordan Named Honorary Member of U.S. Ryder Cup Team

By making him an honorary member, the American Ryder Cup squad is hoping that Michael Jordan can help provide them with motivation as they compete this week. Via the AP: “Back when they were at North Carolina, Davis Love III and Buzz Peterson would bring Peterson’s roommate along whenever they’d go play golf. Thirty years later, Michael Jordan is along for the ride once again. Love made his old college buddy an honorary member of the American team for this week’s Ryder Cup, hoping he can provide some inspiration for a U.S. team that’s lost four of the past five events. ‘We’re going to have him in the team room if he wants to come in. Or we’re going to have him hang out in the locker room,’ Love said. ‘He’s just a good motivation for a lot of these guys that don’t know him. He doesn’t have an official role except for he’s one of our buddies and we like having him around.’ Jordan can thank Love for introducing him to what’s become his second-favorite sport. When Peterson and Love played at Chapel Hill, Jordan would ride with them in the cart and keep score. It wasn’t long before he was asking to hit a shot or two. Now he’s a member at Medinah – not to mention plenty of other clubs – and his love for the Ryder Cup is well-known. Jordan has attended every one since 1995, Love said, and Tiger Woods still laughs at the memory of the 6-foot-6 basketball Hall of Famer crammed into a golf cart as he followed the action at Valderrama in 1997.”