Keegan Bradley Rallies Team USA as Ryder Cup 2025 Kicks Off
Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas headline Bradley’s opening foursomes pairing against Europe at Bethpage Black.
Bethpage, September 26 EST: The Ryder Cup doesn’t ease you in. It throws you into the fire. And this morning at Bethpage Black, the first sparks came flying from Keegan Bradley’s playbook.
The rookie captain, a man who wears the Ryder Cup on his sleeve and shouts it from his chest, put Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas on the first tee to face Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. No half measures, no hedging. At 7:10 a.m., it was power versus passion, and Bradley was gambling the U.S. start on a duo that could light up Long Island or flame out in spectacular fashion.
Bradley Throws the First Punch
There’s no mistaking Bradley’s intent. By choosing DeChambeau, the long-ball showman who divides opinion but never hides, and pairing him with Thomas, the fiery heartbeat of American golf, Bradley is daring Europe to match the energy.
It’s bold. It’s risky. It is exactly the kind of decision that defines a Ryder Cup captaincy. “Bryson brings fire,” Bradley told reporters, and that’s true, but fire burns both ways. If Rahm and Hatton smother the spark early, the Bethpage crowd could turn edgy before the sun’s fully up.
Still, you sense Bradley relishes that possibility. He isn’t here to manage emotions. He is here to weaponize them.
Bethpage Black Turns Into a Cauldron
On Thursday night, Bradley was more hype man than strategist. He led chants, waved flags, and whipped the gallery into a frenzy from the first tee box. It felt more like a college football Saturday than a golf tournament, with New Yorkers ready to turn Bethpage into a hostile fortress.
This wasn’t an accident. Bradley has studied the Ryder Cup’s emotional terrain. He knows the European players thrive in chaos. So he is trying to create an American version of it, louder, brasher, unapologetic.
And the White House? Even it weighed in, sending an official message backing Team USA. That is how deep this goes now. It is no longer just golf. It is theater, it is rivalry, it is pride with a scoreboard.
Morikawa Left in the Cold
But here’s the thing about captains: every call has a cost. Bradley’s decision to sit Collin Morikawa in the opening session has already stirred discontent. Reports are bubbling that some fans have “lost trust” in the rookie skipper. That is the Ryder Cup for you, praise on Thursday night, criticism by Friday morning.
Morikawa isn’t just any benchwarmer. He is a two-time major winner, a ball-striking metronome built for foursomes. Leaving him idle on home turf is a statement. Maybe Bradley is saving him for later, maybe he sees a better matchup elsewhere. But in Ryder Cup lore, these gambles linger.
Playing for Glory, Not Checks
Then there is the eternal sideshow: money. Ryder Cup players do not get paid, though the costs around the event are staggering, pegged at about $305,000 per player in recent reports. Some commentators overseas have mocked the spectacle, sneering at the sight of unpaid millionaires wrapped in flags.
Bradley waved it off. “This is about legacy,” he told Golf Monthly, and you can believe him. For better or worse, the Ryder Cup is not about balance sheets. It is about making memories fans argue about for decades.
The High-Wire Act Begins
Bradley’s captaincy already feels like a high-wire act without a net. He has the crowd eating out of his hand, but one wrong move, one lopsided morning, and the same crowd will grumble. At Bethpage, adoration can flip to accusation faster than a DeChambeau drive can find rough.
That is the theater of this thing. Bradley has put himself right in the center of the storm. If the U.S. win, he will be remembered as the captain who turned Bethpage into a cathedral of noise and belief. If they lose, every flag wave and every gamble will be replayed as evidence of reckless showmanship.
Why This Feels Different
Europe’s pedigree is undeniable. They have taken four of the last six Ryder Cups, and in Rome two years ago they dismantled the Americans with ruthless precision. But this year feels different. This is New York. This is Bethpage Black. And this is a captain who is willing to match Europe’s fire with a bonfire of his own.
We are only a tee shot in, but the Ryder Cup has already arrived at full volume. And for Bradley, that is exactly the point. The man bleeds for this competition, and he has made sure his team, his fans, and his country feel it too.
The only question now is whether that passion fuels a victory or burns him alive in the process.
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A former college-level cricketer and lifelong sports enthusiast, Arun Upadhayay brings the heart of an athlete to the sharp eye of a journalist. With firsthand experience in competitive sports and a deep understanding of team dynamics, Arun covers everything from grassroots tournaments to high-stakes international showdowns. His reporting blends field-level grit with analytical precision, making him a trusted voice for sports fans across New Jersey and beyond.
