That’s because the Ryder Cup is different. Players know it, even if they begrudgingly have to concede so, like David Duval in 1999. In the weeks leading up to that year’s Ryder Cup, Duval offered some critical thoughts about the competition and was part of a group (Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara, and Phil Mickelson being the others) that wondered aloud if there shouldn’t be some sort of financial considerations afforded players in light of the millions of dollars made by the PGA of America.

Duval’s brutally honest talk led to a commendable program in which the players are allowed to designate charities for financial rewards, but what resonates even nine years later is his admission that he was wrong about the Ryder Cup. Having never played in one before 1999, Duval became enveloped in a passion that came shining through on singles day when he drilled previously undefeated Jesper Parnevik, 5 and 4, to help spearhead an American rally for the ages.

The sight of Duval clenching his fist and sticking a cupped hand to his ear as if to tell the vocal American crowd that he wanted to hear even more noise is an indelible image that speaks volumes for what players feel about this competition. Compare that to when Duval won the British Open in 2001, a glorious achievement, yes, but his casual demeanor that day can be explained thusly: That was for himself, not for his teammates or his country.

Corny? OK, maybe it is. But it’s also corny, I guess, to watch re-broadcasts of the 1980 Olympic hockey game between the U.S. and Russia or go out and purchase the movie that was based on that game. So far as I know, not many people are rushing to make a movie of the Red Wings’ march to the Stanley Cup last year. Yes, the hockey was better; it just didn’t elicit the same sort of passion.

So unshakeable is the aura of the Ryder Cup that two years after he served as captain, Floyd in 1991 accepted Stockton’s invite to be a captain’s pick for the unforgettable contest at Kiawah Island. And when captain Tom Watson called two years later, Floyd again answered, just as he again answered Azinger’s request to serve as an assistant this year.

He’s at an age when the golden fruits of his brilliant achievements are easily enjoyed with a leisurely lifestyle, but Floyd is instead in Kentucky. There’s no need to ask why, either.

His contemporaries and those who followed along in his PGA Tour footsteps know that it’s about the passion. So, too, do the fans who help separate this competition from every other golf event, because they know it’s the one time where the losers cry — and so do the winners.