The wait is finally over, and Ryder Cup weekend is upon us.
The period between now and the conclusion of the TOUR Championship in late August was spent seeing which players would represent their respective teams, and who has been at their best in the build-up to the heated battle at Bethpage Black in Long Island.
The lead storyline was American Keegan Bradley’s unselfish decision not to select himself as a player-captain, despite strong outings throughout the PGA Tour playoffs. Bradley likely would have had some extra fuel to win when you consider he was passed over for Justin Thomas in the 2023 Ryder Cup, too, something many golf fans view as an unwise decision by then-U.S. captain Zach Johnson.
While Thomas is known for showing out whenever he’s playing in the Cup, Bradley was likely the better choice, given how well he played in tournaments leading up to it. Now, Bradley finds himself leading this year’s American squad, and there’s pressure on them to bring the Cup back to this side of the Atlantic.
And, in yet another act of putting the team first, he used the final captain’s pick to make sure Thomas was on the U.S. roster — over himself.
“Through this whole process, I wanted to do what’s best for the team,” Bradley said in an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “I want everybody on this team to do that, and it was really an easy decision at the end. This is what we all thought was best for the team.”
Bradley’s counterpart, European captain Luke Donald, already has one Ryder Cup under his belt, giving him a bit of a leg up when it comes to strategic aspects of the three-day event, like deciding Day One pairings and singles matchups on Sunday.
Donald outcoached Johnson during the foursomes in Rome in 2023, as Europe got off to an early 4-0 lead. The early hole the Americans found themselves in had them grasping for straws to give themselves a chance, and they ultimately never recovered.
This time around, the U.S. team needs to avoid an immediate deficit, and they can do so by utilizing players who are both new and familiar to the international cup.
2023 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau already has some Ryder Cup experience after participating in 2021 and 2023, but now he’s expanded his skillset. Back then, he was known for hitting 300-plus-yard drives on tee box after tee box, while lacking the short game necessary to possess a complete golf game.
His improved short game ultimately won him his U.S. Open trophy, recalling the bunker shot he hit on the final hole that would allow him to sneak past Rory McIlroy. In addition to the improvements he’s made to his game, DeChambeau should also be bringing an intensity the Americans need if they want to remedy the disappointment of two years ago.
Speaking of players who were on the U.S. team when they were humiliated in Rome, Patrick Cantlay returns to this year’s roster looking for revenge. He, alongside partner Wyndham Clark, gave the Americans a chance heading into 2023’s Sunday singles with spectacular play down the stretch of Saturday’s four-ball round.
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Despite the experience behind the American team, the European side has plenty, too. McIlroy is making his eighth Ryder Cup appearance and is the European heavyweight as usual, but TOUR champion Tommy Fleetwood is coming into his fourth Cup with plenty of momentum.
That being said, both teams have nearly equal experience, talent and eagerness to win this year’s Ryder Cup, making it one of the most evenly matched in recent history.
The weekend will bring its highs and lows, beer tossing and the staple “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” chants, but the winner will largely come down to Sunday. Given the level of talent on both squads, the ultimate champion will likely be decided by which team’s players can better handle one-on-one rounds as opposed to solely playing for the best score possible.
Given its notoriety in golf, Bethpage Black is certainly going to bring an unforgettable weekend. Now, we just have to sit back, relax and see if the Americans can return the favor to the defending-champion Europeans.