US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley may feel a little aggrieved that Netflix chose to air his post-Presidents Cup comments, but his fears that the rallying cry would be taken out of context appear wide of the mark.
“I’m gonna get criticized as the captain next year,” Bradley said in footage that aired in the final minute of the final episode of season three. “They’re gonna underestimate me, they’re gonna doubt me. I’ve been doubted my whole f**ing life. That’s when I do my best work.
“We are gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f**ing a**!”
It was a clip that went viral, and one that Bradley didn’t expect Netflix to air having effectively forgotten that the cameras were rolling in the US team room.
“Listen, I thought I was in a locker room with my team,” Bradley said at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. “You know, that’s what happens in a locker room. I meant no disrespect to the Europeans. This was a time that we had just won the Presidents Cup, I was in the locker room and it was my turn to address the team. And I meant no disrespect, I was more speaking to our guys.”
Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari both addressed Bradley’s comments in recent weeks, with the former suggesting that the Europeans had all seen the clip but praised Bradley’s passion and his expectation that he’d be a good captain, while the latter dismissed them as no big deal.
And Paul McGinley, who will be at Bethpage in a Strategic Advisory role for Team Europe, has taken a similar approach when appearing on the bunkered.co.uk podcast, but went further in suggesting that the current political environment would make the Ryder Cup in New York an even more hostile environment for the visiting side.
“I don’t make a big deal of it to be honest,” said the 2014 European captain. “Keegan is very, very patriotic. He’s a strong patriot.
“Over here in America at the moment, you can feel it on the streets, with the change in president, there’s a real sense of patriotism and pride, more so than I’ve felt before in America.
“I’ve been working with TGL for the Boston team for the last four matches and regularly the shouts of “USA! USA!” go up.
“So, you’re in an inflamed situation at the moment with the change of presidency and the strong views that many people would have on Donald Trump, and it’s going to be no different when it comes to the Ryder Cup.
“When I talk about a ‘hostile’ environment at Bethpage, that’s what I’m talking about. Patriotism will come to the fore and there’s no doubt that Keegan is a strong patriot.”
But, for McGinley, a three-time victorious Ryder Cup player prior to making it a perfect four when captain, believes it’s all part of what makes the Ryder Cup such a special event. And Bradley, who last played a Ryder Cup in 2014, will epitomise the passion in the stars and stripes.
“It’s not a big deal to me. It’s fine, it’s a bit of fun, it’s all part of the narrative around what a Ryder Cup is, and you should be very proud of the country you’re from. It’s not a biggie for me at all,” McGinley added.
“They knew what they were going to get when they put Keegan in there. He loves American sports and he’s always worn his heart on his sleeve when it comes to representing his country.
“So, this is not anything new or something we didn’t know already about Keegan.”
Leave a comment