BLOOMFIELD HILLS, United States (AFP) - United States Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton turned to the greatest star in basketball history - Michael Jordan - to give his golf team a boost entering this weekend's showdown against Europe.
The Americans will try to win back the trophy starting here Friday against a European squad that has won the biennial matches three of the past four times.
One of his motivational tools was to have Jordan visit during a team dinner at which he praised the golfers for their skills at a game he loves.
"He's passionate about golf but he's also passionate about the Ryder Cup team," Sutton said.
"He talked about how special he felt it was and I couldn't help but think how every guy in that room had to feel special that he thought they were special."
That message was not lost upon Tiger Woods, a friend of Jordan who is struggling to reclaim the once-omnipotent form that made him the most well known athlete on the planet since former Chicago Bulls star Jordan.
"It's weird for me to see people react to him that way because he's just Mike. He's MJ to me. He's one of my best friends," Woods said.
"So it was kind of funny to sit back and watch but it was cool what he said, how excited he is about the event."
Jordan has watched the US Ryder Cup sqauad at Brookline, Valderrama and will again be cheering on his compatriots here.
"He obviously supports our team and our effort," Woods said. "He just wanted to reiterate the fact he's there 100 percent pulling for us."
Chad Campbell, one of five Ryder Cup newcomers on each team, was glad to have the support of a six-time National Basketball Association champion.
"He said he much he loves this event and how hard he is going to be pulling for us," Campbell said. "He has been to quite a few of them and been on the fairways watching. It's nice to have him on our side."
Jim Furyk, the 2003 US Open winner, was stunned to see Jordan.
"You look over and do a quick double-take because everyone is aware of his face and who he is," Furyk said. "He just chatted with a lot of the guys and at the end he had to take probably a few more pictures than he would have wished because a lot of guys never had the opportunity to meet him.
"It was a lot of fun. They asked him on the spur of the moment to say a few words. He was really happy to be part of this and loves the game of golf, obviously he couldn't do what we do and no one can do what he does. He talked about loving it and being thankful."
Sutton hinted that other guests might appear before Sunday's final 12 singles matches to provide the US men a boost.
"Anything I can summon up, that's what we're going to do," Sutton said.