'I Made a Mistake': Keegan Bradley’s Shocking Ryder Cup Admission

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley has made a shocking admission about a mistake he made that contributed to the United States losing the 2025 Ryder Cup to Europe. Europe emerged victorious after impressive displays across the three days, leaving Bradley rueing his mistakes and taking the blame for the defeat.

Bradley Admits He Made Mistakes With Course Set Up

Europe defeated the United States at Bethpage Black on Sunday to secure their first away Ryder Cup win since 2012. One of the biggest talking points was Bradley’s decision to widen the fairways at Bethpage Black. On paper, it was meant to give American players more freedom off the tee, but in reality, it ended up benefiting Europe’s long hitters like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, who took full advantage of the extra space to unleash powerful drives without much risk.

This loss was a difficult pill to swallow for Team USA because the host team traditionally controls the course setup, giving them a unique opportunity to create conditions that suit their players. Instead, Bradley admitted that his decisions ended up playing right into Europe’s hands.

“We tried to set the course up to help our team,” Bradley said after the defeat. “Obviously, it wasn’t the right decision. I think any time you’re the leader of a team or you’re the captain or the coach or whatever, we talked about this last night. You’re going to get the accolades and you need to take the blame for when things don’t go well. And I definitely made a mistake on the course set up. I should have listened a little bit more to my intuition, and for whatever reason that wasn’t the right way to set the course up.”

Bradley Didn’t Expect Greens To Be Soft

Bradley also pointed out the greens, admitting that he had hoped they would play firm and fast. Instead, the greens were soft, and this allowed Europe to attack pins aggressively. That reduced the challenge and eliminated some of the strategic edge Bradley had counted on for the home side. What was supposed to be an advantage turned into a gift for Europe.

“We didn’t expect the greens to be this soft,” he said. “They were as soft as I’ve ever seen greens without it raining. And then, especially here, it can get pretty firm, and they just never firmed up.”

While Bradley focused on the course setup, many observers also highlighted his pairing choices and strategy throughout the event. Several combinations failed to click, and Europe jumped out to an early lead that the Americans struggled to overcome. Questions were asked about why certain players were paired together and why adjustments were not made sooner.

However, Bradley insisted that the course played the bigger role in the loss. He noted that the setup allowed Europe to feel comfortable from start to finish, making it easier for them to play freely in front of a hostile New York crowd.