The Ryder Cup is still nearly a year away, but U.S. captain Jim Furyk and European captain Thomas Bjorn are already preparing for the festivities. Those two went on a tour of Paris this week that culminated with a range session atop ... the Eiffel Tower?!

That's right, Furyk and Bjorn hit balls off the Eiffel Tower onto a big Ryder Cup flag hundreds of yards away. The range session was a recreation of an Arnold Palmer photo from the tower in 1976. Palmer got a little closer to the edge than these two did, it appears. These three men are the only three to ever hit balls from the most famous landmark in France.

"It was an amazing experience for Jim and me," said Bjorn. "It's going to take a while to sink in, and every time you see that photograph now it will remind you. It will stick with you for the rest of your golfing career."

"There is only one Arnold Palmer, but it was an honor for Thomas and I to be part of this," added Furyk as the duo also got to dine with French President Emmanuel Macron. "Hitting balls from the Eiffel Tower, and everything else we have done. France has really rolled out the red carpet for us so I must thank Ryder Cup Europe and everyone involved. 

"We had dinner at the Palace of Versailles last night, we had breakfast with the President this morning and now we've hit a golf shot from the Eiffel Tower. It's incredible. I'm pinching myself -- it seems a bit storybook, but it shows how big The Ryder Cup is and how important it is to a country like France to showcase how beautiful this country is and how wonderful Paris is."

The actual course the Ryder Cup is on is about 40 minutes from the heart of the city, but it has a nice history. It currently hosts the French Open and plans to host the 2024 Olympics which will head to Paris, too. It's going to be a bit different than being in Minneapolis (where the last Ryder Cup was) and Milwaukee (where the next one is).