Keegan Bradley has described life after Team USA’s Ryder Cup defeat as “one of the toughest times” in his life and fears he may never “get over” losing to Team Europe in New York.
Bradley was captain for the 2025 contest at Bethpage Black, where Luke Donald’s European team dominated the first two days before closing out a 15-13 victory and successful title defence on American soil.
Europe’s win was the first – by either team – in an away Ryder Cup since the 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’, with Bradley’s pairings and course set-up among those questioned after Team USA’s home loss.
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Rory McIlroy reflects on Team Europe’s win at this year’s Ryder Cup and his performances so far this year
Speaking publicly for the first time since that defeat, Bradley said at a Travelers Championship media day: “You win, it’s glory for a lifetime. You lose, it’s ‘I’m going to have to sit with this for the rest of my life.
“There’s no part of me that thinks I’ll ever get over this. Since the Ryder Cup to now has been one of the toughest times in my life.”
Team USA needed a record-equalling singles display to avoid a heavier defeat, winning 8.5 points on the final day and threatening a historic comeback after Europe had built a seven-point lead over the first two days.
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A look at some of the best shots from the final day of the Ryder Cup, where Team USA produced an impressive singles fightback to reduce Europe’s winning margin
“You put so much into it, and you have all this planning, and the first two days went as poorly as we could have ever thought,” Bradley admitted. “Then we had that amazing rally on Sunday.
“What I’ve tried to take away is the incredible memories I had with the guys – the times in the locker room and the emotional times we had together.”
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Watch some of the best shots from the 2025 Ryder Cup, where Team Europe claimed an impressive victory
Why playing-captaincy ‘would have been bad’
Bradley’s victory at the Travelers Championship in June raised the possibility of him being the first playing-captain at the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963, something he now acknowledges would have been a mistake.
“I’ll forever wonder and wish that I had a chance to play there,” he said. “The first practice day, I was out on the tee, and I was watching the guys walk down the fairway all together, and I said: ‘I wish I was playing. That’s what it’s all about. I’m missing out.’
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Team USA captain Keegan Bradley heaped praise on Luke Donald after Team Europe clinched the Ryder Cup
“By the second or third day I was like ‘It’s a good thing I’m not playing,’ because I was so physically exhausted. … Good thing I didn’t do it, because it would have been bad,” Bradley said. “I just didn’t think I could do both jobs.”
Bradley said he is still trying to emerge from the “Ryder Cup fog” and switch focus back to being a PGA Tour player, although remains hopeful of representing Team USA again in the future.
“I really would enjoy playing in one more [Ryder Cup],” Bradley admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll get the chance.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast Andrew Coltart and Rich Beem analyse Keegan Bradley’s captaincy during the 2025 Ryder Cup
“This effing event has been so brutal to me. I don’t know if I want to play. No, I do. It’s such a weird thing to love something so much that just doesn’t give you anything.”
What’s next?
The next Ryder Cup takes place at Adare Manor in Ireland from September 17-19, 2027 – the second time the event has been held in Ireland and the centenary staging of the biennial contest. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.