on Jan. 1 at 8 in the morning and wrote a bunch of goals down, and the Ryder Cup was one

Brooks Koepka already knows the sting of losing in the Ryder Cup.And he hasnt even played in one yet.The lone rookie on this American team, Koepka was keeping the wrong company during the last two losses. He was just starting his career on the Challenge Tour, coming off consecutive missed cuts in Kazakhstan and France when he broke through for a three-shot victory in the Catalunya Challenge in Spain.That was the same day the Americans took a 10-6 lead into the final day at Medinah, only for Europe to produce the greatest comeback by a visiting team.I remember I was in some little tapas restaurant, Koepka said. There was maybe five people in there, and I can remember eating and watching it unfold.It gets worse.Two years later, the 26-year-old Floridian won the Turkish Airlines Open in his first full season, and he was honored as the European Tour rookie of the year. The awards banquet took place at the end of the year at Wentworth, a celebration of European success.Just his luck, it was a Ryder Cup year.Europe was coming off a much easier victory, this time at Gleneagles in Scotland. The team was the toast of the banquet.They were all talking about it, and it drove me nuts. I couldnt stand it, Koepka said. The room was filled with Europeans. They had their whole team, Sir Alex Ferguson was there. It was pretty cool. But I got really tired of watching it.At least this time, hell be in good company. And instead of being in front of a TV in Spain or in a banquet room in England, hell have golf clubs in his hands at Hazeltine National as the Americans try to reverse two decades of mostly losing.How he responds is one of the unknowns for the U.S. team, mainly because Koepka is new to all of this. No one doubts his powerful play that put him on a fast track after starting on a slow road. After beating a strong field in Turkey, he won his first PGA Tour event three months later in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.Koepka isnt sure what to expect, so perhaps winning at the rowdiest event on the PGA Tour will help.Everyone has told me its going to be amped up, he said of the Ryder Cup, which starts Friday. I kind of have this picture of 16 at Waste Management -- like that, only everywhere. Thats probably the closest thing to it.Koepka, who is No. 22 in the world, secured his spot on the team by returning from an ankle injury to tie for fourth in the PGA Championship.Hes great to pair with anybody, because who wouldnt want to play with Brooks as far as he hits it? U.S. captain Davis Love III said. Watching Europe celebrate two years ago ... really motivated him to make the team. Hes going to add a lot of youthful enthusiasm and a lot of power to our team.His caddie, Ricky Elliott, is from Northern Ireland. Koepka is close with Rory McIlroy. He has lots of friends in Europe from his three years of playing there, and he wouldnt trade his experiences. But when it came to hearing about the Ryder Cup, it got a little old.Im really excited, he said. I know my face doesnt show it, but its hard to get excitement out of me. I went to the beach on Jan. 1 at 8 in the morning and wrote a bunch of goals down, and the Ryder Cup was one of them. That was nice to cross off.He has checked off plenty of goals along the way.The Florida State alum tied with Jordan Spieth in the second stage of PGA Tour qualifying in 2012, but both missed out on advancing. Their routes were entirely different. Spieth received sponsor exemptions on the Web.com Tour in South America, and then cashed in on a sponsors exemption to the Puerto Rico Open, where he tied for second. He ended the year with a PGA Tour victory, a chance to win the FedEx Cup team and a spot on the Presidents Cup team at age 20.Koepka got out his passport and traveled more miles that he cares to count.Jordan was really talented coming out, and he deserved all that, Koepka said. I wasnt high-profile. I had a place to play, so I figured I could get from the Challenge Tour to the European Tour to here.He already knows what its like to be the lone rookie. During a Ryder Cup team gathering at the home of the New England Patriots earlier this month, players were going to hit shots to a target at Gillette Stadium. Zach Johnson handed Koepka the bucket of balls and told him it was his job to carry it as the rookie.I carried it around for 45 minutes, Koepka said. I couldnt care less. Cheap Air Max UK Free Shippng . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. 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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After beginning their college careers on losing teams, Tennessees seniors would love nothing more than to finish up by playing for a Southeastern Conference championship.Those seniors still hope to reach that goal as they prepare for their final college home game Saturday against Missouri (3-7, 1-5 SEC).That would mean everything, defensive end Corey Vereen said.In order to get to Atlanta for a shot at the title, Tennessee (7-3, 3-3) must win its final two games and have No. 16 LSU defeat No. 21 Florida on Saturday. Tennessee plays at Vanderbilt next week in its regular-season finale.Tennessee isnt in control of its destiny, but the fact the Vols are even in contention for a division title in mid-November shows how far this program has come since these seniors enrolled.Theyve made a lasting impact on Tennessee football, Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. We always talk about is Tennessee football better because you were a part of it. How have you impacted the football program? All these individuals have impacted the football program in a very, very positive manner.This senior class includes the first collection of players Jones recruited to Tennessee as well as four players who preceded the coachs arrival in Knoxville. Linebacker Kenny Bynum, tight end Jason Croom, defensive end LaTroy Lewis and defensive lineman Charles Folger are the lone fifth-year seniors who were part of Derek Dooleys last Tennessee team.Dooley was fired amid a 5-7 season in 2012. Jones and the other freshmen came aboard in 2013 when Tennessee again finished 5-7 for its fourth straight losing season.Tennessee went 7-6 in 2014 and 9-4 last season while winning bowl games each year. This season, the Vols were ranked as high as ninth before a three-game skid in October caused them to tumble out of the Top 25.The headline performers in this class are quarterback Joshua Dobbs, cornerback Cam Sutton and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.Dobbs has made 32 career starts while majoring in aerospace engineering. His accomplishments on and off the field have made him the face of Tennessees program.A lot of people said you cant go to college, cant play SEC footbball and major in engineering, (that) theres just not enough time in the day, Dobbs said.dddddddddddd. You cant do this and you cant do that. ... My message always has been, `Why cant I do that? Sutton, a starter since the opening game of his freshman season, is Tennessees career leader in passes defended and returned to action last week after missing six games with a fractured ankle. Reeves-Maybin led the Vols in tackles in 2015 and tied for the team lead in 2014 before season-ending shoulder surgery limited him to just four games this year.Tennessees fifth-year seniors encountered even more adversity as they dealt with consecutive losing seasons and a coaching change in their first two years on campus.They marvel at how much has happened since their arrival.We remember when we just moved into Gibbs (Hall), me and Jason were roommates together, Lewis said. We look over across the street and Gibbs is gone (it was demolished in 2014). Its a whole new building up. How things have changed over time, its really interesting to look back on.Those four fifth-year seniors have only made a combined seven starts this season, but theyve delivered quite an impact off the field. Lewis has started a local nonprofit organization aimed at mentoring and educating young people in the Knoxville area, while Folger volunteers at the Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville.Tennessees seniors acknowledge Saturdays game will carry an emotional weight. Folger quipped that Im going to cry like a baby when he runs onto Neyland Stadiums field for the last time and is greeted by his family.But they dont want to get too nostalgic just yet. Theres too much at stake.We still have a lot of dreams and goals on the table, Dobbs said. We cant get caught up in too much of the emotion and be focused on this being our last (home) game. Weve still got to prepare and get ready to play a ballgame Saturday.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---Follow Steve Megargee at www.twitter.com/stevemegargee ' ' '