US Captain Keegan Bradley has revealed that the U.S. team is closer than ever before ahead of the Ryder Cup tee-off. The 39-year-old believes that the sense of unity and friendship inside the camp is unlike anything he has seen in past American teams.
Bradley Says He Has Never Felt Closer To US Team
He explained that this year’s group is more than just a team of elite golfers. Coming off a remarkable career resurgence this season, Bradley won the Travelers Championship and finished 11th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings. However, he decided not to pick himself as a playing captain, choosing instead to focus solely on leading the team.
However, history shows that Europe has always had an edge in team spirit, even when the U.S. side looked stronger on paper. European players have built a tightly knit reputation, forming close partnerships that often carry over from one Ryder Cup to the next. Bradley wants the Americans to match that sense of togetherness, and he insists that this year they have made real progress.
“It’s all ‘we’,” Bradley said when asked about the team’s chemistry. “I’ve never felt closer to a group of people in my entire life.”
While Bradley admits bonding is only part of the job, the captain believes that strategy, pairings, and managing pressure will all be important if the U.S. is to emerge victorious. But he believes that the stronger the bond within the group, the easier those challenges will be to handle. When players trust one another, he argues, they can weather tough moments without falling apart.
Bradley Hopeful US Will Prevail
Bradley will be hoping the U.S. can win on home soil again, and the statistics are in their favour. Team USA has only lost four times at home in the 98-year history of the Ryder Cup, and the last Ryder Cup held in the United States ended in a 19–9 victory. The Americans have also won three of the past four Ryder Cups played at home.
The 39-year-old says the U.S. team roots for each other’s success, enjoys time together, and shows real respect in the way they interact. That, he says, has not always been the case. Team USA has been criticized in the past for being too focused on individual achievements rather than the collective good of the team. Bradley is determined to change that story.
Part of Bradley’s approach has been creating opportunities for the players to bond away from the pressure of competition. The team has been spending evenings together, sharing meals, and even staying under one roof. Bradley has described the atmosphere as more like a training camp than a golf tournament. The goal, he says, is to make sure the players feel like one unit when they walk onto the first tee.
Bradley on Team Bond: Closer Than Ever Ahead of the Ryder Cup
