Swedish veteran Jesper Parnevik warns that four Ryder Cup newcomers on the US team could be in for a rude awakening when they face holders Europe starting on Friday in Ireland.
The three-time Ryder Cup European player will not be playing next weekend but the 41-year-old Swede has a vivid memory of the 1999 Ryder Cup "Battle of Brookline" with loud and crazy hecklers causing chaos in suburban Boston.
"Having that many rookies coming to Ireland, they don't know what to expect, and I'm sure it's going to be one of the loudest [Cup crowds]," Parnevik said.
"This could be Boston material almost, I think, when it comes to crowd involvement. And if you've never played in a Ryder Cup, that's kind of a shocker the first time, that it's actually more like a soccer match than a golf game. That could really throw it a little bit off balance," he said.
American rookies J.J. Henry, Vaughn Taylor, Zach Johnson and Brett Wetterich have such veterans as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and US captain Tom Lehman to advise them on Ryder Cup matters.
But Parnevik said nothing can prepare one for the Cup tensions.
"I think Ryder Cup is, as an athlete, bigger to play in than the majors, getting pumped up feelings, the rush, everything," Parnevik said.
"The Ryder Cup is for me number one. I've never won a major but I've had my chances, and I think the hair almost stands [on end] more playing the Ryder Cup than it does in the majors in that sense. It's just a lot more fun," he said.
"It's tough to say, especially with rookies, how they're going to react. It's not a different game, but it's a completely different scene than you've ever been used to or have noticed on the golf course," he said.
Parnevik likes the edge Europe has in experience, especially such veteran leaders as Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.
"You can have really good players that just don't feel comfortable playing in the Ryder Cup and that's a big difference," he said. "You've got to have guys like Monty who really rise to the occasion. Other guys can't really handle it."
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