Ryder Cup Rewind: Chad Campbell

Go inside the ropes of the unforgettable 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla with U.S. Team member Chad Campbell. From the nerves of the first tee shot to the pride of defeating Padraig Harrington on Sunday, Campbell opens up about what it truly means to play for your country—and the brotherhood that defined the week.

Hear firsthand stories about team dynamics, Paul Azinger’s revolutionary pod system, and the iconic moments that fueled a United States victory. Whether it was Stewart Cink crushing a drive or Boo Weekley riding his driver down the fairway, Chad shares what made 2008 special—and why it still gives him chills.

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Every two years, 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition. The European Team are the reigning champions after winning at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in 2023. Drama, tension, incredible golf, camaraderie and sportsmanship are served in equal measure, captivating an audience of millions around the world. It’s an event that transcends sport, yet remains true to the spirit of its founder, Samuel Ryder. The 2025 Ryder Cup is set to take place at Bethpage Black in New York.

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I think it’s just playing for your country is awesome. You’re you’re playing for more than yourself. When you got the whole country and your teammates kind of depending on you, makes it a little more fresher pack. [Music] Back over to the first te. Here’s Chad Campbell of the United States. I think it probably set in on the first te on Friday when I was more nervous than I’ve ever been in my life to be honest. I was playing with Davis Love in the morning matches. That was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life. And it was it was cool. Played all right and got got through first couple holes and um that was kind of the moment that it set in and how big the how big the stage is there for RDER Cup. It just feels like so much more pressure. I mean the feeling that if I don’t get it done, you know, I’m going to let a lot of people down, which is not really the case, but that’s the way I kind of looked at it. I’m like, man, I got to, you know, I got to play good, you know, so put a lot of pressure on myself to to play well. I think it’s just playing, you know, playing for your country. It’s just it’s an awesome feeling and have have all those fans out there rooting for you at cheer in USA. It’s a feeling in golf that you don’t get anywhere else. It was awesome, you know. It was awesome. You’re playing for more than yourself. Playing for a whole country and your teammates, you know. I think that’s where the pressure comes from. When you got the whole country and your teammates kind of depending on you makes it a little more more pressure packed, but you still got to take care of your individual part. You know, there’s still things that you do with the team, but still doing it individually. You just got to do your part to to get things done. Even though you have a teammate, but you got to make sure your game’s ready. In ‘ 04, I’d only been on tour for two years. That was a very special week for me. The whole thing just gives us a blur when you look back at it. I wish you could just slow it down a little bit and take it all in cuz you know the RDER Cup’s awesome and such a special special moment. [Music] Just right. Outstanding from Campbell. Yeah, that was a pretty good feeling right there. That’s the first time I’ve actually seen that. Yeah, that’s really cool. We were I think we were one up on that hole and then Steuart hit that drive and never seen him hit one that far before. So, that was it that was awesome. I think he was pretty jacked up. The streak ended here for four straighter Cup wins. Not on our term, the US fans say here in a revved up Valhalla. It’s definitely the the tops the top top of my career. The year in08 when we were able to win that was just awesome and you know everything just fell together and and it’s a bond between the teammates that you know something that’s always been apart. You know I ran to Azinger last week and talked a little bit about it. So it’s really cool. He was just great. He was just kind of like one of us. That’s the way I saw it and he had a great plan with his the pod system and matching people up with like personalities. I think it was a great way to do it and obviously it proved to be very successful. The first part of the week was a little bit of a blurry just kind of getting ready and then I remember when you know that first match with uh with Stewart against Pter and Rose. We were getting beat pretty bad early. I think we were three down through seven and you know came back to win that which which was awesome. That’s something me and Stuart kind of talk about every now and again. So that’s really cool. Chad Campbell knocks off the fourth ranked player in the world. Captain’s pick Chad Campbell two in one winner. It means a lot. you know, a lot of not only Paul, I think a lot of the players were involved or at least voice their opinion on, you know, who they wanted on the team that year. And just to be wanted and know that everybody’s got your back kind of and it’s a great feeling to be the last person, you know, knowing that there’s always a chance it’s going to come down to you and you’ll have it all on your shoulders, you know, is a great situation. It’s a it’s an honor that all the guys trusted me to be in that position and then having to play against a a guy like Podrick, you know, that’s it’s definitely a great win and something I feel, you know, feel really good about. I I remember when I was on like four or five and just looking up at the board and nobody nobody was done yet. I don’t obviously but the way it was kind of sizing up. I was telling my caddy, you know, think this might come down to us. So luckily everybody else played well and I handle my part too if it did come down to me. Was second shot over at 15 for Chad Campbell. Working on a one-up lead over Harrington. It’s a it’s a feather in your cap even at this point to beat a great player like Harrington. I think on the T- box we’d already clinched before we teed off that hole. I don’t I don’t know for sure, but um I think that’s right. So, that was a pretty good that was a pretty good feeling and accidentally I was I was kind of out of it. Nobody probably knows this, but I teed off in front of Audrey Harrington and he had the honor and I didn’t even I didn’t even know what I was doing. I guess I was just so excited and he reminded me but he didn’t make me replay the shot. I think he won the hole before or something and he had the honor and I hit him in front of him. It was just, you know, I was just kind of out of it at the end, I guess. I don’t know. And it’s over. The color is back in the hands of the United States. It was a great team and had Boo riding the horse off the tea. And that kind of summed things up. Kind of got the crowd into it. And you know, who else but Boo to do that? That’s perfect. I mean, that kind of sums up the attitude. It felt like we were pretty relaxed all week and I think the our, you know, our play reflected that being relaxed in the team room and just hanging out with everybody off the course. A lot of times when you play week to week, you don’t, you know, you have your certain group of friends, you know, that you go dinner with or whatever, but hanging out with everybody there, you know, everybody eats dinner together, every every meal together, team of fellow Americans and going against Europe, the all the pressure with the country and everybody everybody on you, it’s just a really cool feeling to be a part of the team. [Music]