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Here’s a take: I don’t think Keegan Bradley should be the U.S. captain at this year’s Ryder Cup.
You probably weren’t expecting that.
But the reason I think this is probably going to be equally unexpected.
I don’t think Keegan Bradley should be the U.S. captain at this year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage because I actually think he should be the U.S. captain at the next Ryder Cup in Ireland at Adare Manor in 2027.
This is amusing, even to me. Maybe especially to me.
A mere month ago, I was dubious of Keegan’s bona fides as the skipper of this U.S. team, and now I’m already electing him for another tour abroad before he’s even been the captain for one single match in New York.
I am actually glad he’s the captain this year. I wrote about that at length here. But if captains don’t get two consecutive rips at it — and nobody has since Ben Hogan in 1947 and 1949 — then I would prefer Bradley in Ireland to Bradley in the U.S.
And you know what? If he wins this one, just hand him the reins for 2027 like Europe did with Luke Donald following Rome.
Why am I so adamant about this? Well, Keegan brings something to the table that the U.S. hasn’t had on the road since … well, I don’t know if they’ve had it at all on the road over the last 20-30 years in Europe: The Juice.
I asked Keegan a few weeks ago about how he has been able to be as extroverted as he’s been even as a natural loner or introvert. His response floored me: “There's nothing that I will not do for the team to win.” That is not just The Juice but maybe THE JUICE.
Here’s what I wrote after Europe smoked the U.S. on Friday in Rome.
Everybody wants to know who or what to blame this U.S. disaster on. I'm sure you could point to a thousand different things. Here's the one that stood out most to me on Friday at Marco Simone: The U.S. has very few guys who create their own energy.
Ryder Cups are won with golf that emanates from (or leads to) tremendous waves of enthusiasm and emotion. They feed each other. Sometimes that energy comes from making putts. Sometimes it comes from crowds. And sometimes it comes from screaming at your partner after a great shot.
But when these U.S. teams go on the road, it truly looks as if they're scared -- for whatever reason -- to stir up the undercurrent of energy among their team that is necessary to steal a road win. At home, it's easy. They receive it from the massive U.S. crowds.
On the road, they react as if they've never been booed or jeered before, which maybe some of them haven't. Their reaction to all of that, though, seems to be almost indifference which looks like completely rolling over. This is bizarre! Because they all truly do seem to care!
Most of the U.S. energy comes from JT -- again, imagine not bringing him -- but for the U.S. to ever win a road Ryder Cup, he cannot be the only one who creates it. They must find some guys who will lean into the the wild Euro crowds and turn that fervor into an advantage.
Euros have always tried this on the road (Rory in 2016, Rahm in 2021). They didn't have the horses either year. But in 2012, they turned the crowd around (often with Poulter) and somehow got a win. Road Ryder Cup victories are so tough. But damn, at least give yourself a chance.
Me
ZJ doesn’t bring that energy. Neither does Furyk. Tom Watson? Please.
Perhaps the U.S. needs to shake things up a bit with its road players, but it definitely needs to shake things up a bit with its road captain.
Again, this is all dependent on success at Bethpage. But if Keegan can nail the pairings and the logistics and the management of a Ryder Cup squad half as well as he’s handled the media and the U.S. goes on to win like it is favored to do, then the PGA should ask him to go to Ireland to do what Donald will (at that point) have been unable to accomplish: Win back to back Ryder Cups.
This is what singles looked like the last time the U.S. won in Europe.
For someone who is desperate to have their legacy tethered to this event, it’s difficult to imagine a better run for Keegan than the opportunity to break what will be a streak that is older than most of the players on this year’s U.S. team.
I know I’m getting way out ahead of myself here, but I also want to be out ahead of it. I think not only should Keegan be asked to be the 2027 captain if he wins at Bethpage, but also that — depending on how the next three weeks go — he will.
