Second-Guessing U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley Can Start Now

The Americans had a poor Day 1 and will need to rally to win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Is the captain to blame already?

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley saw his team fall behind by three points after the first day at Bethpage Black. / Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — By lunchtime on Day 1, the U.S. Ryder Cup team had dug itself a hole.

The Americans were blown out in the first three foursomes matches, with only Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele winning, taking a 3–1 deficit to the afternoon. And matters got worse in the afternoon, as the Americans fell behind another point in four-balls.

The score going to Saturday is Europe 5½, U.S. 2½, which begs this discussion with our SI Golf panel:

Fact or Fiction: The Second-Guessing of U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley Can Start Now

Bob Harig, SI Golf Senior Writer: FICTION. We do this every time something goes wrong on either side instead of holding the players to some accountability. Sure, it’s fair to argue that Collin Morikawa shouldn’t have been out there for foursomes or even perhaps Justin Thomas. Bottom line, Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler, the two rocks for the U.S. side, didn’t get it done, regardless of how their partners fared. They needed to step up, make birdies, get points on the board—and they didn’t.

John Pluym, SI Golf Managing Editor: FACT. Let’s not beat around the bush: Keegan Bradley should have played in this Ryder Cup. He’s better than three or four of the other players he picked for the team. He should have been a playing captain. The Americans needed him on Friday. They also needed the No. 1 player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, to play like his ranking. He’s now been beaten in all three of his matches in the foursomes format, winning only three of 41 holes he has played. Yes, Keegan, you should have picked yourself. Here’s one more suggestion: Sit Scheffler in Saturday morning’s foursomes.

Jeff Ritter, SI Golf Managing Director: FACT. Europe was the better team on Friday, but it wasn’t a total wash for Bradley: he now knows he can send Justin Thomas and Cam Young out early, and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay out late. He can also send Collin Morikawa and Harris English out to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is open all day on Saturdays. I didn’t love pairing DeChambeau with JT in Friday’s first match—bad move to put two alpha, high-energy guys together—and I think while trying to win the opening hole rather than the opening session, Bradley cost his team a point and possibly more.

Michael Rosenberg, SI Senior Writer: FICTION. Would I have played Collin Morikawa in foursomes after a shaky year? No. Would I have paired him with Harris English? Double no. But there is more gray area in these decisions than we like to acknowledge, especially when they don’t work out. We have no idea how another pairing would have fared. It’s not Bradley’s fault that Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas missed greens from fairways, or that Scottie Scheffler lost both his matches. Sometimes it’s OK to say the other team was better, as Europe was Friday.

John Schwarb, SI Golf Senior Editor: NEUTRAL. I can’t hold Bradley responsible for the world No. 1 losing two matches, and maybe this European team can’t be beaten even if Bradley pushes all the right buttons, but the Harris English/Collin Morikawa foursomes pairing and failing to sending out Bethpage know-it-all Cameron Young until the afternoon both land squarely on the boss. And things didn’t turn for the better with the Air Force One flyover either.

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