Keegan Bradley has admitted that he doesn’t think that he will ever get over the United States’ defeat against Europe in this year’s Ryder Cup in New York.
The biennial team contest saw a stacked United States team look to regain the title at Bethpage Black but were outperformed by the Europeans during the first two days which saw them come into the final day with a 11.5-4.5 deficit. Despite a spirited late rally, Europe held off the U.S. to retain the title with a 15-13 victory to become the first of either team to win away from home since the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ in 2012.
Bradley, who was captaining the Americans, made his first public appearance since the tournament on Monday’s Travelers Championship media day in what he described as “one of his toughest times” in his life.
“You win, it’s glory for a lifetime. You lose, it’s ‘I’m going to have to sit with this for the rest of my life’,” Bradley said. “There’s no part of me that thinks I’ll ever get over this. Since the Ryder Cup to now has been one of the toughest times in my life.”
“You put so much into it, and you have all this planning, and the first two days went as poorly as we could have ever thought,” Bradley added. “Then we had that amazing rally on Sunday.
“What I’ve tried to take away is the incredible memories I had with the guys – the times in the locker room and the emotional times we had together.”
Prior to the contest, there was widespread debate regarding whether Bradley would select himself and become the first playing-captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963. However, despite being placed within the top 12 of the Ryder Cup standings, Bradley chose against electing himself to play, a decision he now admits may have been a mistake.
“I’ll forever wonder and wish that I had a chance to play there,” he said. “The first practice day, I was out on the tee, and I was watching the guys walk down the fairway all together, and I said: ‘I wish I was playing. That’s what it’s all about. I’m missing out.’
“By the second or third day I was like ‘It’s a good thing I’m not playing,’ because I was so physically exhausted. … Good thing I didn’t do it, because it would have been bad,” Bradley said. “I just didn’t think I could do both jobs.”
However, Bradley states he’s grateful for the support he received from the American fans and legendary players alike from when he was confirmed as Team USA skipper by the American fans and legendary American players right up until the final day of the event.
“I didn’t expect the support,” Bradley said. “In the history of the game — back to Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus — I don’t know if any of them got to experience what I experienced this year.
“I got to experience something in the game of golf that I don’t think anyone’s ever experienced: where I’m the Ryder Cup captain but also competing at a very high level, and winning tournaments, and contending in tournaments. And it was really incredible.”