ContinueRyder Cup victory for the European team on 30th September at Medinah, Chicago, will be an incredible achievement, but victory would taste that little bit sweeter for Luke Donald.
The world number three has spent most of his life in the city which he now calls home.
"I have a lot of history here," Donald told Sky Sports. “I've spent 15 years here, I met my wife here. I had four good years at college here which really set me up well for being a professional.
"I've travelled around so many different cities in the US playing golf but I've always come back to this place as my favourite city. Great food, great people, a lot to do.
"It's a little bit like New York but a little bit more manageable, a lot cleaner and, I think, friendlier people. I enjoy Chicago a lot. It has a lot to offer. Great sports city, restaurants, fine dining, a lot of culture, great art museums. It has everything.”
Something that will aid the American team will be the crowds creating an incredible and potentially intimidating atmosphere. Chicago has a reputation of being arguably the biggest sports city in America and Donald is expecting quite an unnerving reception for the European team.
"It'll be extremely raucous. I've played in three Ryder Cups and I think this is the biggest city in terms of the location and that'll make it a little bit more fun.
"I think the fans will get behind this Ryder Cup and it'll make it tough for the Euros. They're going to be on the Americans' side, they'll be cheering hard but they're a fair crowd and hopefully they'll respect both teams.
"The home team's biggest advantage is the crowd support and if we can take that away a little bit, not just through my relationship with Chicago, but also playing well then that will be a slight benefactor for us."
Everything is in place for this to be one of the closely contested Ryder Cup's in history. If Donald is to have something up his sleeve, it will be that he has played Medinah more than most, as he lives just 30 minutes away and his most recent tournament performance there was in the final group of the 2006 USPGA.
"It's a course, obviously, I know that I can play well around and I'm excited about the prospect of it being not just at Chicago but at Medinah, a place that I'm familiar with,” said Donald.
