The aftermath of the Ryder Cup is still alive two months after the 15-13 with which Europe defeated United States at Bethpage Black. Keegan Bradley confessed that if he could go back, he would like to change details of the course setup, but there was one detail he didn’t want to share… and one of his players has done so.
Justin Thomas revealed on the podcast No Laying Up that the American team was absolutely “bewildered” by the conditions of the greens on the historic New York course. According to him, Keegan Bradley specifically requested that the greens roll around 13 on the stimpmeter, a standard figure on the PGA Tour and slightly higher than what is usually found on the DP World Tour. Although most of the European team players are used to playing on the PGA Tour, not all of them are. The reality was very different.
Thomas emphasized that the greens were “much slower than expected” and that the feeling of discomfort quickly spread through the American locker room. Meanwhile, Europe opened up an almost decisive gap in the first two days: “I don’t know why they weren’t as Keegan had requested. He was very clear about the speed he wanted, fast enough. We saw them arguing, saying they were at 13 on the stimp, but we all saw how the putts were falling short on TV. We play golf every week: we know when a green is slow,” he lamented.
The bewilderment reached the point of generating discussions with the greenkeepers at Bethpage Black during the tournament itself. “It was strange because it’s not what you expect in a home Ryder Cup,” Thomas added.
Despite everything, the Kentucky player wanted to make it clear that he is not looking for excuses: Europe was better. However, he did admit that losing that possible advantage from the start was frustrating: “It’s one of those little weapons you usually have in your favour, and this time we didn’t have it.”
In sporting terms, Thomas finished his participation with two points out of a possible four —victory in fourball alongside Cam Young and individual triumph against Tommy Fleetwood— before undergoing a microdiscectomy weeks later. The same operation that Tiger Woods has undergone on several occasions.
During his appearance on the podcast, he also wanted to talk about his physical condition: he is confident in walking normally, but he still cannot train. “I will probably miss a couple of tournaments in 2026. The strange thing is not being able to do anything, not because I can’t physically, but because I shouldn’t,” he explained.
The echo of Bethpage continues to resonate. And, according to Thomas, part of the story of this Ryder Cup was written long before the first shot was taken… on the very grass of the green.
