heir federation that, as doubles partners, they had to wear the same colors.The pair was told just before going on court that they could lose

CHASKA, Minn. -- Here is a good lesson from the first day of the Ryder Cup for American golf fans, especially those who are desperate to see the United States recapture the trophy after such a long and miserable drought:Boisterous support of your countrymen is helpful, but if you decide to poke the bear, you might not like what happens next.The bear, in this case, is Rory McIlroy, a man who is, among other things: a four-time major winner, a three-time Ryder Cup winner, the current FedEx Cup champion, and a club-twirling, par-5 slaying, living embodiment of golf adrenaline.For most of McIlroys career, American galleries have happily embraced him. He might have grown up in Northern Ireland, but his ties to the United States obviously run deep. He grew up idolizing Tiger Woods; he won his first major in America; he moved to Florida and made it his full-time residence; he plays the American style of golf (hit the ball high and hit it long); and his fiancée, Erica Stoll, is an American.The Ryder Cup, however, is the one time (every two years) when Americans are happy to root against McIlroy, and, because hes arguably the worlds most talented player, he tends to be a lightning rod for hecklers.It does not seem to have the intended effect. You can make a pretty compelling case, in fact, that heckling him backfired badly on Friday.It started right out of the gate during Friday mornings alternate shot pairings, but it didnt build to a boil until late in the match. Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler were just about to close out McIlroy and Andy Sullivan, a win that felt like a minor upset at the time. Despite being down for most of the match, and despite Mickelsons erratic driving, Fowler and Mickelson scraped together enough birdies on the back nine to grab a 1-up lead going into 18. All the United States had to do to close out an improbable 4-0 start was dodge one more birdie putt from McIlroy.McIlroy had a good look at a 20-footer without too much break, and if he made it, it would halve the match (giving both teams half a point) and prevent Europe from being shut out in foursomes for the first time since 1975. He read the break, took a few gentle practice strokes, and thousands of fans looked on in anticipation. Hazeltine National was deathly quiet, right up until McIlroy was about to bring the putter back. Then some boorish patron broke the spell, bellowing from afar that McIlroy should let an American putt that.McIlroy was visibly annoyed, his face twisting into a scowl. He stepped away, went through his routine one more time, then hit a putt he quickly realized had no chance of going in. In disgust, he flipped his putter in the air, caught it, quickly shook hands with Mickelson and Fowler, then exited the green muttering under his breath.Its hostile out there, McIlroy said later. Its definitely a little more hostile than Medinah.The McIlroy who re-emerged for afternoon four-balls seemed like he was determined to execute two things:1. To will Europe back into contention with a driver that sounds like a shoulder-mounted cannon whenever he takes a rip at the ball.2. To feed off every snippet of negative energy directed his way.He managed to accomplish both, and its a big reason -- maybe even the main reason -- why Team Europe suddenly feels like it has all the momentum going into Saturday. McIlroy made three birdies in the first five holes of his afternoon four-ball match against Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar, and he and Thomas Pieters jumped out to a 4-up lead through seven. American fans needled him, yelling for his ball to get in the water every time he took on a hazard, and he responded with fist pumps and icy glares toward the gallery that would have made Seve Ballesteros giddy.Most of the people out there are respectful and just cheering hard for the U.S. team, McIlroy said. Thats totally acceptable and thats exactly what happens in Europe. But still, its a hostile environment that the people dont want you to hole a putt. They dont want you to hit a good shot. I think when you do hole a putt or hit a good shot, it just makes it that much more satisfying.As entertaining as the first 15 holes were, the exclamation point that McIlroy deployed to end the match on the 16th is something we might talk about for years to come. First he nuked a drive 346 yards on the 572-yard par-5 that left him in the middle of the fairway with a 4-iron in his hands. Then he hit a towering but gentle draw to the middle of the green that left him 18 feet above the hole. After the ball left his clubface on his approach shot, he executed an epic club twirl that would rival almost any twirl Woods unleashed at the height of his powers.McIlroy wasnt done yet. He sized up his eagle, got it started on the right line, and right after it trickled into the cup (winning the hole and ending the match), he screamed and pumped his fist, then bowed twice to the American crowd before bear-hugging Pieters. It was yet another reminder that when McIlroy is dialed in, he remains (post-Woods) the greatest show in golf.Even before I hit that putt, I wanted to put an exclamation point on that session for us, McIlroy said. I honestly thought about that celebration before I hit the putt. Its a hostile environment out there, and I just want everyone to know how much this means to us. Were not going down without a fight.McIlroy was so energized by the walk-off eagle, it looked like he blew past Dustin Johnsons caddie (and brother) Austin Johnson without shaking his hand, even though Austin was lining up for the traditional postmatch handshake, a gesture that clearly annoyed a few American players who were following the match. When asked about it afterward, McIlroy seemed surprised. He insisted it was totally unintentional, and he was planning to call Austin to apologize and clear up any confusion.Not at all, McIlroy said when asked if it was a purposeful slight. I get on really well with AJ and DJ and all the Johnson family. I have to go and apologize to them. I sort of got caught up in the moment. AJ, I would classify him as a good buddy of mine on tour, along with DJ. That definitely wasnt my intention at all, and Ill send him a text or go and find him in the hotel to apologize to him.U.S. captain Davis Love III didnt seem to mind McIlroys theatrics. In fact, he couldnt help but marvel at them, even if they came at the expense of his team. I think thats whats so much fun about the Ryder Cup, Love said. I mean, Im not going to get Rory to not celebrate when he plays well, and Im not going to get Patrick Reed to not celebrate when he plays well. Patricks running around shushing people. Were having fun.McIlroy didnt seem to care when asked if he was worried at all that his dramatic double bow might potentially motivate either the American fans or the American players. In fact, he responded with one of the cockiest -- and best -- quotes of his career.No, no worries at all on my part, McIlroy said. I bowed to them and said Youre welcome for the show. And we move on.Padres Jerseys China . 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San Diego Padres Shirts .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week.PARIS -- The French tennis federation has provisionally suspended Kristina Mladenovic, Caroline Garcia and Benoit Paire for damaging its image at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Paire, who was seeded 16th at the Rio Games, was sent home after being kicked off Frances team.The 27-year-old Paire, ranked 34 in the world, broke team rules, the FFT said in its statement Sunday. He reportedly sometimes stayed away from the village, or came back late. He also made dismissive comments about the importance of the Games because there are no ranking points.Mladenovic and Garcia sharply criticized the FFT following their defeat in the first round of the doubles over a clothing mix-up, saying that they were not informed by their federation that, as doubles partners, they had to wear the same colors.The pair was told just before going on court that they could lose by default if they did not change their clothing, and Mlaadenovic had to lend Garcia some spare gear.ddddddddddddMladenovic was particularly angry, posting five tweets in which she lambasted what she called the incompetence of the FFT, blaming it for ruining their match.The FFT said all three showed an unacceptable attitude, adding that they are provisionally suspended from selection until a final decision is made on Sept. 24.Mladenovic and Garcia are key players in Frances Fed Cup team that will contest the final against the Czech Republic in November.France plays away to Croatia in the Davis Cup semifinals from Sept. 16-18, meaning that Paire is ineligible to play.However, he has yet to represent France and was not expected to be selected.The FFT added that the three will receive no help from the FFT during the suspension period. 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