Keegan Bradley has admitted to still being “heartbroken” by his American Ryder Cup team’s loss at Bethpage last year. Bradley is also keen on retaining the US captaincy at Adare Manor next September, should Tiger Woods knock back the opportunity.
Luke Donald and Europe were set for a Bethpage rout before a rousing US recovery on day three. The visitors still won the trophy for a second time in succession. Bradley, who has returned to playing duties on the PGA Tour, remains wounded by the event. As is the case with all Ryder Cups, the losing captain has been subject to heavy criticism.
“It has been a little difficult,” Bradley said. “I’m still heartbroken from the Ryder Cup. So I am trying my best to separate myself and move on but it’s hard. I think about it a lot. I think about the guys a lot and I’m still in the process of getting past all that.
“Unless you’re a captain of the Ryder Cup team, you just have no idea what goes into it and the emotional toll that it takes on you. I think like a lot of guys that do it, they’re basically done playing. I’m the first person to have to deal with this, get back out there, try to be one of the best players in the world and make the next team. So I’m still navigating how to do that. But it’s on my mind.”
The PGA of America are keen that Woods declares his hand before next month’s Masters. The 15-time major winner has been publicly vague about his plans while citing potential time constraints as he sits on committees within the PGA Tour. Bradley would accept a second stint if an option. While that has not been widely suggested, alternatives to Woods look thin on the ground.
“I mean, yeah, sure, I would,” Bradley said of the prospect of returning as captain. “But I don’t know if that’s on the cards. I think any Ryder Cup captain that loses would like to do it again. But that’s not up to me.
“I think that the distraction of me playing, maybe playing isn’t really what the position is about. So who knows in the future.” As captain of a past tournament, Bradley is actually part of that decision-making process.
Bradley’s second round of 66 at Sawgrass – after his first-round 77 – ensured he survived for the final two rounds of the Players Championship. So, too, did Rory McIlroy despite flirting with the cut line for spells on Friday. The Northern Irishman’s strong finish for 71, leaving him one over, means he will not have to add an event for pre-Masters buildup. As it stands, the Players will be McIlroy’s last competitive golf before he launches a defence of the Green Jacket at Augusta National from 9 April.
“I have 280-odd starts on the PGA Tour and I’ve missed less than 30 cuts,” McIlroy said. “I’m proud of that.
“[The television analyst and former caddie] Bones [Mackay] asked me walking down my last hole there: ‘What’s your plan after this for the next few weeks?’ I said: ‘Bones, I’ll tell you after this hole. There’s a lot riding on this golf hole.’
“Obviously I wanted to make the cut. Of course you want to be here for the weekend. I’m happy to get two more runs at it. It would have sucked to be going home this afternoon.”
Perhaps more importantly, McIlroy reported continual improvement with a back injury which had forced him to withdraw before the third round of last weekend’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. “I feel like it’s just progressively getting better each and every day,” said McIlroy.
Those who exited Sawgrass included Shane Lowry and Marco Penge. Ryan Fox, who withdrew before round one, revealed on social media that he underwent emergency surgery on a kidney stones problem in Florida on Wednesday.
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