Keegan Bradley, should be pardoned for not ending it sooner. It’s difficult to release tension that has built up over ten years.
It goes without saying that Bradley, the 38-year-old incoming Ryder Cup captain, won the Presidents Cup. He begged, prayed, and hoped for another chance at this very moment for 10 years.
It was quite understandable because he had come to terms with the fact that his time as a player for the U.S. side might end with him carrying only an earphone and clipboard. However, a late victory at the August BMW Championship got him Captain Jim Furyk’s nod.
Therefore, it was probably only fair that the American teams’ frequent bridesmaid should be the one to end it. As expected, though, he was forced to wait longer than anticipated.
Bradley lost two putts that would have won the Cup: an 8-foot birdie on 16 and a 4-foot par putt on 17. However, Bradley guaranteed a 1-up win and his glorious moment as the player who won the Presidents Cup when Si Woo Kim missed a 6-footer on the 18.
“It’s a fable. It’s almost a movie. It’s just unbelievable to me. Good things come to those who work as hard as they can.” Bradley, who went 2-1-0 this week said.
Keegan Bradley’s final Sunday Singles performance left everyone devastated. At the Ryder Cup, he gave up the victory point to Europe after missing a putt on the 14th hole at Gleneagles in 2014, pushing his match dormie with Jamie Donaldson.
Everyone was devastated by Keegan Bradley’s final Sunday Singles performance. After missing a putt on the 14th hole at Gleneagles in 2014, he gave up the victory point to Europe in the Ryder Cup, sending his match with Jamie Donaldson into the dormie.
He was a candidate for a Ryder Cup captain’s pick in 2018, however he was not quite selected. A year ago, he was also the final guy out. Season 2 of Netflix’s “Full Swing” featured a video of the conversation Zach Johnson had with him after learning he had been left off the team, which was viewed by hundreds of millions of people.
Bradley felt that was it ; his chance was gone. This summer, he was chosen to captain the Ryder Cup team and made a commitment to continue working towards a roster position. The choice this year was quite unexpected. Bradley’s play was subpar for the majority of the summer. As the FedExCup’s No. 50, he sneaked into the BMW, heated up, and won. Furyk mentioned it as the rationale behind Bradley’s selection.
“I’m still not sure how all of this came to be. I wasn’t even in the BMW a month ago, and then we came to this place and the Presidents Cup point. I honestly didn’t realise how unique these weeks were. I was quite sorry not to be here as I watched a lot of these things on TV.” Bradley said.
Bradley is still driven by the desire to form a new squad and stay away from spectator sports once more. However, he stood quietly on the 18th green, assured that he would be fine if that didn’t happen. This was resolved this past week.
“I’m content if this is the last round I play as a player.” Bradley said.
Shortly after the Americans won the Cup, Bradley wiped away tears and gave big hugs to Jim Furyk and Sam Burns also. This week, Bradley has noticed that he is getting emotional quite a bit. Three days prior, on that same green, he had secured a point with a 1-up victory in Thursday’s Four-ball, solidifying a 5-0 sweep. He added during the post-game press conference that he was motivated by the younger players around him and looked up to them for being able to do what he couldn’t when he was their age. Back then, he saw his peers as his enemies, which prevented him from developing friendships outside of the boundaries.
“Bradley expressed his regret. These guys are close to one another. When they are outside the ropes, they become friends, and the spouses become friends, despite them wanting to severely win one another inside. It’s a lot more joyful way to live this life.” Bradley said.
He has a life like that. As he responded to a question during Sunday night’s winners’ news conference, his teammates showered him with applause. He now fully embraces the position he has always desired: America’s Ryder Cup captain.
Bradley had a lot of experience playing, but he was removed of his Presidents Cup captain’s assistant responsibilities after being chosen as a captain’s pick. He absorbed every facet of the procedure like a sponge. He observed what a younger generation’s team room looked like, as well as their and his own preferences. He stood back and observed the captains assign pairings. He saw how players developed a close relationship with the leaders. He praised Furyk for arranging for the players to compete against one another in practice rounds and for arriving one day early to allow for greater acclimatisation.
“A lot of what Jim Furyk did this week will be imitated by us.” Bradley said.
He would most definitely prefer to copy the outcome. He won’t have to wait very long to get the chance.
