The Keegan Bradley career line and his turn as a captain of the US Ryder Cup are more easily quantified by his time at St. John’s University.
There are many who believe that it was the Snub of the Ryder Cup 2023 and its reaction in real time in front of the Netflix cameras which sealed its improbable fate as captain, but this explanation suggests collective empathy at the PGA of America which is normally not in professional associations and is impossible to quantify.
Instead, he will be four years of 39 years in St. John’s, who presents himself as “the New York team” and only 30 minutes from the Golf Park golf course during a good day of traffic.
The PGA of America sought to check a few boxes with Bradley as captain, including his own admission that he is in a way a “outsider” of Ryder Cup, but his association with Bethpage, where he played countless training rounds on the red course, seems to have been the transaction manufacturer.
The crowds of next week will transform the normally quiet state park into a frantic zoo to compete with all that the Yankees can evoke in the Bronx. As New England, Bradley is one of their own.
“I would say that New York fans are extremely passionate. I think it multiplies when you wear your country’s flag on your chest and I think it multiplies even more when you play on their Bethpage journey,” said Bradley last week when he is developing his team in the proof championship. “When you talk to a New Yorker, they have all these prestigious clubs, Shinnecock or winged foot. You ask a New Yorker what is their course, they all say Bethpage Black.”
The noisy crowds promise to be a test as much as the narrow blank -beeting fairways and robust relief, undoubtedly creating the most extreme example of the advantage of the home field in the history of the Ryder Cup. But it is simply not the Europeans who will have to kiss chaos.
Bradley has four recruits in this year’s American team – Ben Griffin, JJ Spaun, Russell Henley and Cameron Young, who should have a softer landing with Bethpage who grew up in New York – and they will have to quickly put themselves at speed if the American side would get rid of the continent’s cup.
“It’s probably going to be strong, that’s what people say. There will be fans,” said Griffin Comicly underestimated last week.
In Griffin’s defense, many argue that there is no comparison with what players will face next week. The volume, the jingoisical fervor and the non -filtered reflections of the New York masses are about to present the most unique test in the history of the Ryder Cup for the two teams.
“I just know that it will be quite nervous, but fortunately, he is a driver, so it’s on a T-shirt and swing,” said Spaun. “I felt quite uncomfortable at the United States open, but I struck very good starting strokes when I got off, so I’m going to really refine.
“But the captains will do such a good job to settle and give us a few words of encouragement before going to this first tee.”
Bradley has filled behind the scenes with a collection of vice-capitals who do not only know the relentless pressure to play for your country, but also the capacity of New York fans to cross the delicate golf line on a regular basis.
“I played two cups with Bethpage and it’s different. Going inside out of the place of the place,” said Gary Woodland, one of the five vice of Bradley vice captains. “All I knew before was a public golf course, but I spread, I was surprised to see how massive the property was.”
And then there are fans.
“New York fans are among the most passionate fans in the world. I have always appreciated the stronger environments and that’s exactly what I expect from Bethpage to be next week,” Woodland said. “It will be different from the main championships that previously played there because our guys will have most of the crowd that encourage them.”
Last week, Napa Valley’s training camp gave Bradley recruits a chance to jump on these mental preparations with a dinner Tuesday combined with a lot of time on the journey with vice-capital and veterans of the team.
“Probably everyone is going to be nervous. You know, I have the impression of having expressed like the nerves, the anxiety of going there, and they are like guy, everyone is nervous, you are not the only one to be nervous,” said Spaun when asked what kind of advice he had received vice captains. “A hard troop may perhaps start, who knows, but ultimately you will have the range and realize that you are playing golf to earn a living and you are really good and things will be installed and you will be comfortable in your own skin.”
There is no way to fully describe what to expect Bethpage, but the message was clear – it will be noisy and legendary.
“I’m going to tell the recruits to kiss the energy of the crowd and feed it,” said Woodland. “In addition, it will be important to take a second and take a deep inspiration, especially before swinging to help slow their heart rate. It will be high energy all around and will be important to use it to our advantage.”
The collective experience on the American side, including the connection of Bradley, Bethpage and its Golf Roots in New England, will pass the first part of next week trying to facilitate uninitiated in an experience which, by most accounts, has no history.
But preparing American recruits for nerves and noise and a crowd that will not be interested in the golf label or the borders will only be part of the message.
“I would tell them to soak it. Focus, yes. But really soak and look around and be grateful that you are in this team,” said Vice-Capitaine WebB Simpson. “Some guys can go too far in the rabbit burrow to try to concentrate and block everything. But this is a unique opportunity for some guys. I will never forget the first three T-shirts on which I was holding and I am happy to have somehow appreciated.”
