The Ryder Cup begins on Friday at Bethpage Black, with Keegan Bradley and Team USA facing off against Luke Donald and Team Europe. After they were embarrassed in Italy in 2023, the Americans are looking to defend home soil on Long Island. Bradley was the last player cut from the 2023 team and is now the captain of the 2025 Ryder Cup club. He is using his personal experience to fire up his team.
“What I’ve been telling the team is you never know when your last Ryder Cup will be. My last Ryder Cup was the deciding point with Jamie Donaldson (in 2014) and I certainly didn’t think that would be my last shot in a Ryder Cup. You really want to enjoy every second of these because you never know when it’s done,” Bradley said, per Sean Martin of the PGA Tour.
Bradley was a key member of Team USA in 2012 and 2014, going 3-1 at Medinah and 1-2 at Gleneagles. But he was left off the team for the 2016 matches at Hazeltine. That was the first Cup the Americans won since 2008, which created a core that Bradley was not a part of.
The Ryder Cup is an important event to Bradley, as evidenced by his emotional Full Swing scene and packed luggage from 2014. Now, near his college stomping grounds of St John's University, he has the opportunity of a lifetime. Many thought he would pick himself as the first playing captain in 60 years, but he opted against that. New York's Cameron Young is on the team instead.
The Ryder Cup begins on Friday at 7 a.m. with 36 holes of match play. Bradley's choices will be under the microscope from the outset in front of the New York sports fans. Can his players bring home the Cup after the poor play in Italy? Or will Europe keep the momentum?
