Keegan Bradley is still wrestling with the aftermath of the United States defeat at the Ryder Cup, lamenting all that went wrong and wondering if he'll ever get over it.
Speaking for the first time during a Travelers Championship media day on Monday, Bradley discussed the U.S. defeat to Europe at Bethpage Black where the Americans performed poorly the first two days before a big rally on Sunday fell just short in the 15-13 defeat.
Bradley won the Travelers Championship in June, for a time sparking discussion that he would become the first U.S. playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“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,'" Bradley said. "There's no part of me that thinks I'll ever get over this.”
Bradley, who played on losing U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 2012 and 2014, was the surprise pick to lead the U.S. squad in July of 2024. He was offered the position without an interview after Tiger Woods had put off a final decision on the role before finally turning it down.
An eight-time PGA Tour winner, Bradley, 39, had not been part of a U.S. Ryder Cup team since the 2014 defeat at Gleneagles. He had also played on the 2013 Presidents Cup team and was also a player on that team last year after being named captain.
"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," said Bradley, whose team lost all four sessions the first two days and trailed 11 ½ to 4 ½ going into singles. He said the deficit was daunting enough that he had to pull himself together before addressing the team Saturday night.
“It was pretty emotional. It was sad, to be honest,” he said.
The American side lost only one match outright on Sunday and earned 8 ½ of the 12 points to make it close.
Captain's Decisions That May Have Cost U.S. a Ryder Cup Win
Afterward, Bradley took blame for not setting up the course more favorably for the Americans, which is the right of the home team.
He’s also been second-guessed over various pairings and strategy—although his top players Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay went a combined 3-10-2.
"Since the Ryder Cup to now has been one of the toughest times in my life," Bradley said of the three-week period. "I really would enjoy playing in one more. I don't know if I'll get the chance.”
Bradley is ranked 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The qualification period for the 2027 Ryder Cup, if the previous system is in place, would begin with the 2026 major championships. Those would be the only events next year that will count in the '27 points race.
At the end of the qualifying period this year, Bradley was 11th in points and almost certainly would have been picked had anyone else been the captain.
“I'll forever wonder and wish that I had a chance to play there," Bradley 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.'
"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. I just didn't think I could do both jobs.”
Bradley expressed appreciation for the support and saw how much it meant to people as he played at a high level through the year.
"This effing event has been so brutal to me. I don't know if I want to play. No, I do," Bradley said, correcting himself. "It's such a weird thing to love something so much that just doesn't give you anything.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Keegan Bradley Reveals Crushing Pain of Ryder Cup Loss.