It can be said louder, but not clearer. The United States team of the Ryder Cup is on a roll. In fact, they are on cloud nine and have no intention of coming down. The positive energy exuded by Keegan Bradley is overwhelming and contagious. Everything is good. It’s the best locker room he has seen. He is constantly amazed by Scottie Scheffler. He is thrilled with Bryson DeChambeau‘s commitment. His captaincy model is Paul Azinger. He has the pairings 90 percent defined and no intention of playing mind games… The appearance of Captain America at the Procore has been a kind of tsunami of happiness…
A captain with very clear ideas… “I would say I have the pairings 90% defined. One of our goals was for the guys to be prepared, to know who they are going to play with. Especially in alternate shots, I think it’s more important there. In fourball, you can have a bit more leeway, but here we are quite defined with what we are going to do.”
The importance of starting the Ryder well with the first foursomes session… “The foursome is obviously the most difficult format to pair because there are many more factors. There’s the ball. You really want to match personalities because it’s a much tougher format. When you play away and stand on the 1st tee alone in alternate shots, it’s much tougher; I think that would be the reason why that first session is so important and why we prefer the foursome at home. It also seems easier to play better at home in the last 30 years. We have quite a few new guys, and it’s been great to see our players’ willingness to play with anyone. I didn’t see that in the teams I was on before. These guys say: “put me with anyone,” or “who do you want to play with?”, “whoever you want”. Veterans willing to come and tell us: “put us with guys who haven’t played a Ryder Cup”, which is very special. It’s a big… it’s a differentiating factor, I think, in how you’re going to do in the Ryder Cup.”
The sensational atmosphere in the locker room… “We have a wide range of rookies, veterans, Scottie Scheffler, World Number 1… In short, we have a great team. These guys really care about each other, they treat each other with respect. It’s the most united team I’ve seen. Our Presidents Cup team last year was, by far, the best locker room I’ve been in. Something you dream of as a kid in these team events. This group seems a bit different, but the dynamic is the same. These players are truly friends, even off the field, which in my previous teams I don’t know if we had as much. They really care about each other. And what has impressed me the most is that they truly cheer each other on and want their teammate to do well. When I played, I didn’t cheer anyone: I wanted to win and play as well as possible. These guys are genuinely happy when their friend wins a tournament, and that’s magnificent.”
Praise for Europe, but not intimidated… “I don’t care what they are doing, I don’t care what the European team does. The only thing I know is that when I look at their team, I see perhaps the best European team in Ryder Cup history. They are very deep from top to bottom. They have Majors champions, Rory is having a historic year. But really, I don’t care what Europe does; I only care about our 12 guys, our caddies, the wives. I only care about what we do. They are a confident group and should be. They won the last Ryder Cup; their team is solid. Luke Donald is perhaps the best captain in history, someone I’ve always admired. So they should be confident, but no… I’m not worried about what they say about us; I only care about our team.”
Impressed with Scottie Scheffler’s personality… “Honestly, the more I’m with Scottie, the more impressed I am with who he is. We all know about his talent, but when you see him with our guys, with the rookies, his willingness to do literally whatever it takes for us to win the Ryder Cup… And when your best player does that, the rest of the team is going to follow his lead. I think the most impressive thing about Scottie is his behaviour as a person. When you see how he plays, you’re amazed, but when you talk to him, when you’re around him, when you see him from afar, with his family, his interaction with the younger players and the caddies… I really admire him, I look up to Scottie. I’m not afraid to say it. He does many things right. He steps up on the field, he steps up in the team room, and obviously, he will be an important part of our team at Bethpage. Does he have added pressure? He’s used to that. I’m convinced there’s nothing he’d like more than to have the decisive point in his hands to win the Ryder.”
Praise for Bryson DeChambeau… “In the world of golf right now, we’re in an uncomfortable position. Much of that responsibility has fallen on Bryson. He has to make a much greater effort than many of the guys. Bryson was here last night. He has been incredible. He has shown more than willing to go above and beyond for this team. I think it’s a testament to what a good teammate Bryson is. It’s easy for the guys to come and play here and have dinner. Bryson has to get on a plane, come to these meetings, and I think it’s great; it shows the commitment he has to the team. He’s going to be a huge asset for us. Obviously, because he’s such a good player, but also because he’s fun to be with; he’s great with the younger ones. It’s nice for us to see Bryson in an environment outside the golf course.”
Hats off to Rory McIlroy’s passion for the Ryder Cup… “Yes, it’s great that Rory openly expresses his desire to win away from home. It’s fun. I think the Ryder Cup brings out a lot of emotion in people, and that’s great for our sport. I love it, I love everything related to the Ryder Cup. It’s the passion, you know? Rory cares about the Ryder Cup as much as winning the Masters or a Major, which is how it should be; it’s fantastic.”
His captaincy style in the Ryder Cup, a testament to his life… “I think we would all agree that my choice was definitely a surprise to everyone. I thought I didn’t have the experience that Luke had, and I think where I grew up, in New England, is not exactly the place where PGA TOUR players come from. In fact, I had people, adults, who told me all my life that I wasn’t going to be able to do this. I always felt that… I wasn’t recruited for college, nothing. No one thought I could be here, so I always had to adopt a ‘us against them’ mentality or ‘they don’t think I can do it’. I’ve always had that approach. And I will also bring it to my captaincy.”
What the Ryder Cup means… “I think as a kid in sports, you always long for that team environment. In golf, we never have it. When you play for your country, in any sport, all of that intensifies. I think we only do this once a year. And when you’re part of it, it really changes you forever. It changes the way you prepare, the way you set your goals for the year, for your career. In golf, you’re very much alone all the time. And then, when you’re in the team room or even at a dinner like last night and you look around and see the guys, and we’re all in this together… You’re seeing J.J. Spaun, Ben Griffin, Scottie Scheffler, and suddenly, we’re all on the same team here. It’s a very special feeling to be part of this because it’s so rare. And I’ve also been telling the team that you never know when your last Ryder Cup will be. Mine ended with Jamie Donaldson’s decisive point, and I certainly didn’t think that was my last chance at a Ryder Cup. You really want to enjoy every second because you never know when it’s over. Also for Scottie. I tell them: it was over for Jack Nicklaus, guys like that, the Mount Rushmore of golf. You have to enjoy these moments because you never know when it will end. You never know if it was your last dinner like last night, you never know if it’s the last time you hang out in the team room with the guys; so you have to savour every second.”
The New York crowd… “I would say New York fans are extremely passionate. I think that multiplies when you wear your country’s flag on your chest, and I think it multiplies even more when you’re playing on their course, at Bethpage. When you talk to a New Yorker, they have all those prestigious clubs, Shinnecock or Winged Foot. If you ask a New Yorker what their course is, they all say Bethpage Black. We’ve been working… there’s a group of players called Nassau Players Club that only play at Bethpage. They don’t play on any other course. You talk to them about what Bethpage means to them, and it’s not just the golf course: their father taught them to play there, their grandfather taught them to play there, they worked as caddies there. For many people, it’s much more than a course. If you add all that up, you’re going to have fiery fans.”
Paul Azinger’s captaincy model… “Yes, I’ve leaned on Paul Azinger. I text him all the time, talk to him all the time. When you talk to the players and look back, many say he was a phenomenal captain, one of the best ever. I rely heavily on things he did: things for the week, what he tells the guys, his mentality, his approach for the week. Plus, I love Paul Azinger; I think he embodies the Ryder Cup energy that the U.S. team needs. Paul Azinger was very successful and, in a way, was a pioneer in the way of doing things.”
