Hazeltine Makes History with 2nd Ryder Cup Bid

By Johnny Minnesota |

Updated: Apr 16, 2024

Despite seeming like it happened yesterday, we’re almost a year-and-a-half removed from the most recent Ryder Cup. It was that Hazeltine National Golf Club (“Hazeltine“) hosted event that saw the United States dethrone the European squad for the first time in eight years.

Unlike Tiger Woods’ infamous sex scandal, the 2016 Chaska-based competition had a positive impact on the PGA of America’s public relations. Apparently, said impact was so encouraging that the biennial battle will be making a return to Minnesota:

We’ve got some news… pic.twitter.com/y6gaYajPCZ

— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) March 26, 2018

(Sidebar: incorporating Team Shuster into the above video was genius. I never thought a combination of curling and golf would make me feel like running through a wall, but here we stand. Whoever was behind that idea, kudos to your brain.)

Anywho, per Monday’s announcement, the Ryder Cup will be making an unprecedented return to Hazeltine. That’s right. In 2028, the prestigious Minnesota golf course will become the first American venue to hold the team contest for a second time.

Personally, this news is an absolute game changer. Regardless of my best efforts to stay woke, when it came to attending the last Ryder Cup, I dozed off. Now, in less than a decade, my asleep-at-the-wheel-self will have a shot at redemption.

Let’s presume all the excitement over watching athletes hit a little white ball is making some eyes roll. To quickly address those naysayers, put this footage in your pessimistic pipe and smoke it:

“I believe that we will win”. #RyderCup hole #1 pic.twitter.com/ky3vTM9IN3

— FOX 9 Sports (@Fox9Sports) September 30, 2016

As evident by the initial Hazeltine hosted Ryder Cup, the multiple day tournament isn’t filled with golf claps from rich stiffs. No, no, no. On their way to the 17-11 victory, Patrick Reed and his teammates repeatedly fed off of the energy from the goosebump-raising crowd.

Additional information surrounding the electric atmosphere’s return to Minnesota will be available on April 10th. On that Tuesday, officials from the PGA of America and Hazeltine will hold a news conference regarding the pride-filled showdown.

In the interim, here are all of the Ryder Cup’s future sites:

FYI: The official 2026 venue is yet to be determined.

Even though it seems like an eternity from now, the history breaking 47th edition of the intense rivalry should be worth the wait. If you deem the near decade-long anticipation unbearable, the 2020 Ryder Cup will take place in Kohler, Wisconsin. Kohler, the home to Whistling Straits, is approximately a five-hour drive from the Twin Cities.

Actually, a slew of Minnesotans making a Whistling Straits appearance would be very beneficial. With the rest of the world watching, the last thing we need is a bunch of Cheeseheads tarnishing the image of Midwest golf fans. An image that the Land of 10K Lakes worked so hard to create.

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com