United States captain Keegan Bradley accepted full responsibility for his side’s 15-13 loss to Europe on Sunday at the Ryder Cup, despite a stirring final-day singles comeback.
“I’ve got to take responsibility for this outcome for sure,” Bradley said. “I definitely feel I made a few mistakes. I wish I could have some of those decisions back.”
The Americans trailed 11.5-4.5 after foursomes and four-balls but matched a record with 8.5 points in singles, holding Europe to just one victory. Still, the late rally wasn’t enough.
Bradley, ranked 13th in the world and higher than four of his players, said he had everything required to succeed.
“The PGA of America put me in an amazing position. They gave me every resource and every option. This is no one’s fault but mine.
“When you’re the leader of the team and you lose, you have to take the blame.”
Justin Thomas suggested the difference was simply missed putts over the first two days. Bradley, however, said he wouldn’t expect another chance as captain.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. But we have some momentum going forward. I’ll help out the best I can to help the next captain.”
Bradley admitted soft greens at Bethpage Black, soaked by rain, disrupted months of planning.
“I’ve never seen Bethpage greens play this soft,” he said. “I definitely made a mistake on the course setup. I should have listened a little bit more to my intuition.”
His setup choices mirrored regular PGA Tour conditions, familiar to both teams.
“At a Ryder Cup the captain is to be blamed or to be celebrated. We all have to do a better job, but most importantly I have to do a better job as captain.
“I feel like the guys played pretty well. The Europeans just played way better.”
Bradley praised Europe’s display, calling it one of the best he had seen.
“They’ve played at as high a level as a Ryder Cup team has ever played for those two days. It’s one of the best performances of a road team in any sport.
“They putted even better. They came into a hostile environment and played great. You have to take a step back and tip your cap.”
Bradley also stood by his decision to keep Harris English and Collin Morikawa together in foursomes despite criticism.
“In the past sometimes we’ve panicked with the pairings and switched everything up, and it hasn’t worked out,” he said. “We wanted to stick with the plan and that’s what we did.”
Photo: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Article Link: Bradley takes blame for US Ryder Cup defeat