Video of Fired-Up U.S. Fans Singing 'Sweet Caroline' at Ryder Cup Goes Viral

The Ryder Cup is finally back in the United States, and fans couldn't wait to root on the host team.

In a video that has been viewed almost 600,000 times, supporters of the U.S. team were already at the first tee at 6:15 a.m. local time, singing Sweet Caroline ahead of the event's first day at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Whistling Straits was supposed to host the Ryder Cup, a biennial event where United States golfers compete against the best from Europe in a head-to-head team competition, in 2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event alternates between Europe and the United States, and Ryder Cup fans are not your typical golf fans. The host team usually enjoys a homefield advantage with a rabid and boisterous group of supporters that also is known to heckle the opposition.

The U.S. fans were extra pent up since they haven't hosted the event in five years, and they were out en masse before the sun was even up—many more than an hour before the first group teed off at 7:05 a.m. on Friday—waving flags, singing Neil Diamond and setting the tone for the weekend.

The fans also serenaded the United States with "U-S-A" chants throughout play Friday.

The Ryder Cup is a three-day competition where teams compete in various competitive formats with match-play scoring. Friday morning's matches were foursomes, where two players from each side competed in a head-to-head, alternate-shot format. Friday afternoon they competed in a four-ball tournament, where each player plays his own shot.

The format is the same on Saturday, and Sunday features head-to-head singles matches, where the Cup will be decided.

The U.S. is hoping that recent trends repeat as the host team has won the past three Ryder Cups. Europe defeated the Americans 17 1/2-10 1/2 at the 2018 event in Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, and the United States claimed the Cup with a 17-11 victory at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minnesota in 2016. Europe was the last to win the Cup on road soil when they held off the United States 14 1/2-13 1/2 at Medinah in Illinois at the 2012 event.

There are 28 total points up for grabs—eight apiece on Friday and Saturday and 12 on Sunday. The U.S. must win at least 14 1/2 points to claim the Cup. If the teams draw, Europe will retain the Cup because it won the most recent event.

The United States is led by captain Steve Stricker and PGA Tour stars Brooks Koepka, Bryson Dechambeau, Colin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Dustin Johnson.

Team Europe features a veteran-laden lineup, as nine of its 12 players have participated in previous Ryder Cups. Europe is captained by Padraig Harrington and led by top-ranked golfer Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia.