With the Netflix cameras recording, Keegan Bradley got a little worked up following the United States’ Presidents Cup win over the Internationals at Royal Montreal.
In celebratory mood, the Presidents Cup player now turned Ryder Cup captain had a message for his teammates and, intentionally or unintentionally, for the world at large.
“I’m gonna get criticised as the captain next year,” he said. “They’re gonna underestimate me. They’re going to doubt me. I’ve been doubted my whole f**king life. That’s when I do my best work.
“We are gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f**king ass.”
And you can’t really blame him. Bradley played in two Ryder Cups and has yet to taste anything other than defeat. The first came in heartbreaking fashion at Medinah in 2012, and the second via a drubbing at Gleneagles in 2014, and he famously has yet to unpack his suitcase from the latter, claiming he won’t do so until he’s part of a winning Ryder Cup setup.
He’s passionate, fiery, and yes, often underestimated. And only time will tell if his battle cry will be seen as astute or ill-advised, but Shane Lowry, speaking to the Golf Channel ahead of the Cognizant Classic, admitted that either way, the Europeans were all well aware of Bradley’s words.
“Oh yeah, we’ve all seen it,” Lowry said. “Look, they’re going to be fired up to go beat us.
“Keegan is going to be a great captain, and we’re under no illusion about that; we’re certainly not going to doubt him.
“And I’m sure Luke Donald (the European captain) is going to prepare his team as best he can, and we’ll give it a go when it comes to it.”
But the Europeans are refusing to be drawn into making more of the remarks than is necessary. Not publicly, at least.
“It’s not a big deal,” said Francesco Molinari. “Those things happen all the time. I can understand why Keegan did it. We love to win; they love to win. What Keegan said was not out of bounds.”
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