Sunday, September 28 2008 -- Hundreds of fans gathered to see Muhammad Ali at the Louisville Muhammad Ali Center as he graced the Ryder Cup’s welcoming ceremony.

Ali’s wife, Lonnie said, “…We are here to show our support of the extraordinary sportsmen who are competing here.”

Muhammad Ali, who is suffering with Parkinson’s disease, did not make any speech. However, he did shake hands with over a hundred fans who had patiently waited for their turn to get close to their hero and former heavyweight champion.

Paul Azinger, U.S. captain, is reported to have encouraged his players to make Ali their inspiration in their quest to reclaim the Ryder Cup from the current winners (Europe).

Even team USA’s youngest player, Anthony Kim (23 years old), found Ali inspiring, even though he claims Ali was not a part of his generation.

Inspiration did not just reach the youngsters since even seasoned members, such as Justin Leonard, were in awe of the great Muhammad Ali. He said, “It was pretty inspirational to get a sense of what he went through in his life and all the things that he did outside of the sports world.”

Muhammad Ali’s presence awed the people attending the ceremony, so much so that the reason that they were there – the Ryder Cup – was almost forgotten.