Keegan Bradley, the 13th-ranked golfer in the world, did not do well on the microphone after a disastrous outing at the 45th Ryder Cup. He went on to captain the U.S. team through the event. The Americans came within a whisker of the ultimate victory, going down 15-13 to the Europeans. Bradley took full responsibility for the loss, acknowledging he miscalculated when configuring the course at Bethpage Black.
Bradley has a pretty stellar golfing resume, but was ranked 11th on the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings going into the competition. For months he had to think about the decision of if he was going to use one of his captain’s picks on himself. He ultimately took on the role of captain, becoming the youngest individual to do so since Jack Nicklaus in 1963. At 39 years old, Bradley had never previously served as a Ryder Cup vice-captain, making his leadership position all the more significant.
Bradley became very familiar with Bethpage Black during his college years at St. John’s University. He’s disappointed with the decisions he made regarding the course structure. “I realized that I made a grave mistake in the way I set up the course,” he admitted, “I can’t even explain that one. I should have listened to my gut more because that was just the wrong way to do it.”
In his own commentary on the matter, Bradley pointed out the burden of accountability that accompanies leadership. He noted, “Obviously, it wasn’t the right decision. I think anytime you’re the leader of a team or the captain or the coach, or whatever… you need to take the blame for when things don’t go well.”
Much of musings were directed at the American side’s lackluster start in foursomes and fourball matchups on day one. Furthermore, Bradley faced scrutiny for his decision to send Collin Morikawa and Harris English back out together after their earlier performances.
Reflecting on his year as captain, Bradley told me, “I tried to play and balance it the best I could, ‘cause it’s literally the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my life! His passion for leadership jumped out at me in the way he went above and beyond to show appreciation for his teammates. I don’t miss any of this, not one moment. I had never woken up more excited to do something every day in my life. It really made me the different person that I am today, I’m really appreciative of these guys.”
Bradley’s leadership was not without its supporters. Said fellow golfer Justin Thomas about his effort to create a good team environment That’s what I told him today in the locker room when I saw him. I was just like, ‘[I’m] proud of the frame of mind that you all got us in today. Thomas remarked.
Bradley took a moment to applaud Luke Donald, captain of the European side. The former US Open champion labeled him “the greatest European Ryder Cup captain of all time”. This deeper recognition speaks to the esteem Bradley holds his peers in and the fire inside that makes this battle field such a formidable arena.
Despite the challenges faced during the tournament, Bradley’s commitment to his team and his reflective approach to leadership resonate strongly. As he navigated this high-pressure environment, he aimed to create a setup that would benefit his players: “We thought this was the best way to set the golf course up to win,” he explained.
Leave a Reply