Ryder Cup 2025 - All matters

In relation to Keegan Bradley, he has faced so much criticism and mocking, including from me. However, I do actually have sympathy for him, and think bigger questions need to be asked about the US team generally.

Keegan isn't even 40 yet, and he has been playing decent golf again in the last few years, so there was always a good chance he'd be competing to play in that team. He doesn't have a stella playing Ryder Cup career, making him an inspirational appointment. He has played two, 2012 and 2014 and was in the losing team in both. So, why on earth was he selected as Captain? Was there truly no one better for the job? Did they see his heartache on Netflix when Zach Johnsen didn't pick him as a player, and felt it was a great opportunity to give him the chance to be a victorious captain, and then on the back of that sell the movie rights?

He looked to make plenty of mistakes over the first two days, and on the course set up. I also didn't like the moment he seemed to harass a referee in the Rose Young match.

But, in fairness to him, he has seemed very humble in defeat. He has praised the Europeans and he has owned up to what he feels are his own shortcomings. As much as some of his habits probably do annoy me on the course, he does seem to be a nice guy behind the scenes, and this was a job that came way too soon for him. Perhaps a few Ryder Cups as a vice captain before being considered the main Captan would have been a better route for him.
 
Have just been to an American lady, who along with all her family play golf most back in the States.
She said they were all horrified and disgusted by the behaviour of the home fans there.
She said they all were routing for Europe as a result.
 
Have just been to an American lady, who along with all her family play golf most back in the States.
She said they were all horrified and disgusted by the behaviour of the home fans there.
She said they all were routing for Europe as a result.
I think it is good to remember that those people shouting abuse were not representative of the bulk of Americans, not even close to it.
 
I think it is good to remember that those people shouting abuse were not representative of the bulk of Americans, not even close to it.
Just like the crowd of Brits on holiday in Spain in August don't represent all of the UK.

Granted.....I've been known to swear a fair bit and throw the occasional club on the ground.....

I checked the scores after each day. I started out rooting for the EU since I figured they were the underdogs....and when I don't care about the result, I root for the underdog. After the second day I had to turn around and root for the US since they had a huge hill to climb. I still don't get why people get so wound-up about this event.
 
In relation to Keegan Bradley, he has faced so much criticism and mocking, including from me. However, I do actually have sympathy for him, and think bigger questions need to be asked about the US team generally.

Keegan isn't even 40 yet, and he has been playing decent golf again in the last few years, so there was always a good chance he'd be competing to play in that team. He doesn't have a stella playing Ryder Cup career, making him an inspirational appointment. He has played two, 2012 and 2014 and was in the losing team in both. So, why on earth was he selected as Captain? Was there truly no one better for the job? Did they see his heartache on Netflix when Zach Johnsen didn't pick him as a player, and felt it was a great opportunity to give him the chance to be a victorious captain, and then on the back of that sell the movie rights?

He looked to make plenty of mistakes over the first two days, and on the course set up. I also didn't like the moment he seemed to harass a referee in the Rose Young match.

But, in fairness to him, he has seemed very humble in defeat. He has praised the Europeans and he has owned up to what he feels are his own shortcomings. As much as some of his habits probably do annoy me on the course, he does seem to be a nice guy behind the scenes, and this was a job that came way too soon for him. Perhaps a few Ryder Cups as a vice captain before being considered the main Captan would have been a better route for him.
There is a lot to unwrap with the US teams decision making from the players, Bradley and right up to the PGA itself in choosing him as Captain and Bethpage as a venue.

I believe initially they wanted Tiger as Captain but he was again recovering from his latest bout of back surgery so ruled him out. I think they’ve then looked across the board and gone what’s left ! Answer to that is not a lot now that Mickelson an outcast.

There’s a lot they need to consider before the next captain is announced like how they get their individuals to play the actual team part! Ironically as much as he’s a pain in the arse someone like Reed could be a very good captain.
 
Just like the crowd of Brits on holiday in Spain in August don't represent all of the UK.

Granted.....I've been known to swear a fair bit and throw the occasional club on the ground.....

I checked the scores after each day. I started out rooting for the EU since I figured they were the underdogs....and when I don't care about the result, I root for the underdog. After the second day I had to turn around and root for the US since they had a huge hill to climb. I still don't get why people get so wound-up about this event.
It's sport, why does anyone get wound up about sport? They just do 🤷‍♂️
 
There is a lot to unwrap with the US teams decision making from the players, Bradley and right up to the PGA itself in choosing him as Captain and Bethpage as a venue.

I believe initially they wanted Tiger as Captain but he was again recovering from his latest bout of back surgery so ruled him out. I think they’ve then looked across the board and gone what’s left ! Answer to that is not a lot now that Mickelson an outcast.

There’s a lot they need to consider before the next captain is announced like how they get their individuals to play the actual team part! Ironically as much as he’s a pain in the arse someone like Reed could be a very good captain.
In terms of their captain this year, would any of their Vice Captains made more logical cjhoices? Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner, Jim Furyk or Gary Woodland?

OK, I suppose you can rule out Furyk as he has already done the job. Although perhaps he'd like the chance of a home Ryder Cup as captain. The others are not much older than Bradley, but were probably never in as good a position to compete for a players spot than Bradley. Trying to think of other candidates off the top of my head that may have had previous success with USA, of an age they could do it, and not at LIV. Perhaps the likes of Kuchar or Jimmy Walker?
 
Alcohol is a mood amplifier. It can remove inhibitions, turning what you might think into what you’ll actually say. Add in a bit of mob rule, where intelligence follows the lowest common denominator, and you get what we saw at the weekend. And it isn’t constrained by national identities or traits. There’s plenty of evidence with football supporters to show that the country of birth has nothing to do with how badly people can behave.
Not sure that I completely agree with this . The fact that violence at football associated with alcohol tends to be more common in some countries than others would rather suggest that country of origin does affect how one behaves in certain situations..

I do not by the way think it is preset with a common genetic heritage. I think it depends on prevailing cultural tendencies at a point in time. The 80's in England were particularly bad for football/alcohol associated violence, the culture has changed since and the problem is far less.

Purely from reading American sources it would seem there may be a problem in America with somewhat boorish behaviour associated with alcohol and golf that appears less prevalent here currently. Obviously this is not true for many and probably most Americans just as football violence was a small but not insignificant minority. But cultural tendencies do exist in different places and different countries that do affect behaviour.
 
There is a lot to unwrap with the US teams decision making from the players, Bradley and right up to the PGA itself in choosing him as Captain and Bethpage as a venue.

I believe initially they wanted Tiger as Captain but he was again recovering from his latest bout of back surgery so ruled him out. I think they’ve then looked across the board and gone what’s left ! Answer to that is not a lot now that Mickelson an outcast.

There’s a lot they need to consider before the next captain is announced like how they get their individuals to play the actual team part! Ironically as much as he’s a pain in the arse someone like Reed could be a very good captain.

It’s always the same when it comes to captains at the Ryder cup

Inspiring the players , getting them feeling like a team

9/10 the Europeans get it right

As we have seen a great player in the Ryder cup doesn’t always mean a great captain

Then we see players like Bjorn , McGinley who haven’t been stellar players but find a way to gel the team

US are in a situation right now where it’s hard to see where the next inspiring captain will come from

Maybe it could be someone like

Fowler , Woodland , Snedeker

There are a lot of potential divisive characters though that may get it
 
It’s always the same when it comes to captains at the Ryder cup

Inspiring the players , getting them feeling like a team

9/10 the Europeans get it right

As we have seen a great player in the Ryder cup doesn’t always mean a great captain

Then we see players like Bjorn , McGinley who haven’t been stellar players but find a way to gel the team

US are in a situation right now where it’s hard to see where the next inspiring captain will come from

Maybe it could be someone like

Fowler , Woodland , Snedeker

There are a lot of potential divisive characters though that may get it
The number of players who moved to Liv for one last payday has cost a lot of players the chance to captain a Ryder cup side for both teams.
Whether it’s something that may change going forward I don’t know but it’s already cost Stenson and the likes of Poulter and McDowell who I think would of been future captains
 
In relation to Keegan Bradley, he has faced so much criticism and mocking, including from me. However, I do actually have sympathy for him, and think bigger questions need to be asked about the US team generally.

Keegan isn't even 40 yet, and he has been playing decent golf again in the last few years, so there was always a good chance he'd be competing to play in that team. He doesn't have a stella playing Ryder Cup career, making him an inspirational appointment. He has played two, 2012 and 2014 and was in the losing team in both. So, why on earth was he selected as Captain? Was there truly no one better for the job? Did they see his heartache on Netflix when Zach Johnsen didn't pick him as a player, and felt it was a great opportunity to give him the chance to be a victorious captain, and then on the back of that sell the movie rights?

He looked to make plenty of mistakes over the first two days, and on the course set up. I also didn't like the moment he seemed to harass a referee in the Rose Young match.

But, in fairness to him, he has seemed very humble in defeat. He has praised the Europeans and he has owned up to what he feels are his own shortcomings. As much as some of his habits probably do annoy me on the course, he does seem to be a nice guy behind the scenes, and this was a job that came way too soon for him. Perhaps a few Ryder Cups as a vice captain before being considered the main Captan would have been a better route for him.
They absolutely gave him the job out of pity since he was overlooked two years for the team, and they obviously realised that had been a mistake. I'm not sure why he accepted it really, surely he could have said "I still have ambitions of playing in the team, so this is too soon for me to be captain"?

The mistakes he made are really just the same mistakes US captains of the past have made. A lot has been made of the Europeans using 'data' to pick their pairs - whatever 'data' means in this context - and USA don't. Sort of like that scene in moneyball, where Europe are Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill and USA are the old-school baseball scouts who don't trust it. 😄

Has anyone even been a captain but then gone back to being a player in a future RC? I'm guessing no, but it could happen for him. That would be interesting.
 
The number of players who moved to Liv for one last payday has cost a lot of players the chance to captain a Ryder cup side for both teams.
Whether it’s something that may change going forward I don’t know but it’s already cost Stenson and the likes of Poulter and McDowell who I think would of been future captains

It will be interesting to see what those Europeans will do

Think we got lucky with Stenson losing out because we got Luke

There is always the talk about the likes of Garcia and Poulter - both passionate players in the RC but for some reason I think Poulter would be awful and Garcia is too toxic

Westwood - no chance

But McDowell I think would have been a prime pick for Adare

The US

DJ - not a chance
Reed - too toxic

Mickleson - not sure , think a lot of bridges burnt

But amazingly I think Watson would do well
 
B
It will be interesting to see what those Europeans will do

Think we got lucky with Stenson losing out because we got Luke

There is always the talk about the likes of Garcia and Poulter - both passionate players in the RC but for some reason I think Poulter would be awful and Garcia is too toxic

Westwood - no chance

But McDowell I think would have been a prime pick for Adare

The US

DJ - not a chance
Reed - too toxic

Mickleson - not sure , think a lot of bridges burnt

But amazingly I think Watson would do well
I suspect they'll want Tiger for 2027, if he says no they might give Bradley another shot. I'm not sure I'd give Donald another go, I really do like the idea of giving the Captain two goes at it, one home/one away, so it's a chance for someone else, McDowell might be a good shout.
 
I think it is good to remember that those people shouting abuse were not representative of the bulk of Americans, not even close to it.
You think not? I fear that in the current environment in the US there is a strong feeling among a large part of the population that they can say and do exactly what they want without fear of castigation or retribution…and without regret or embarrassment…welcome to USA 2025.

And I doubt that it’ll be any better in 2027.

BTW I don’t absolve Europe fans from criticism…many are way over the top in their behaviour…much of which is, as suggested by others, alcohol induced and inflamed. You want to calm things down a bit next time out? Have strict control on the sale of alcohol and where you can drink it on or around the course.
 
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B

I suspect they'll want Tiger for 2027, if he says no they might give Bradley another shot. I'm not sure I'd give Donald another go, I really do like the idea of giving the Captain two goes at it, one home/one away, so it's a chance for someone else, McDowell might be a good shout.
Agreed on this. I feel Donald will probably step down. Giving a captain a home cup and then and away cup seems to work really well, because then you have stability for the more difficult away one. Moving forward we should work on that basis, unless they make a horrible mess of their home one for some reason.
 
B

I suspect they'll want Tiger for 2027, if he says no they might give Bradley another shot. I'm not sure I'd give Donald another go, I really do like the idea of giving the Captain two goes at it, one home/one away, so it's a chance for someone else, McDowell might be a good shout.

Think at the moment McDowell isn’t a member of the ET I believe so couldn’t do it

Do think someone like Rose depending on his form

Ed Molinari might be in the running

Maybe even Harrington getting another go at home
 
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