Team USA captain Keegan Bradley insists he “doesn’t care” about how Team Europe are preparing for the Ryder Cup and has confirmed he is “pretty set” with his pairing plans for Bethpage Black.
Bradley is looking to regain the trophy for the United States and continue home dominance in the event, with Luke Donald’s European team arriving as defending champions after their 16.5-11.5 victory in the 2023 contest.
Team Europe retained 11 of the 12-man roster from their Rome success, with Rasmus Hojgaard replacing twin brother Nicolai as the only change, while Donald returns as back-to-back captain and targeting a first away win since the 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’.
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Speaking at Wentworth, Luke Donald shares his thoughts on his potential European pairings ahead of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black
Rory McIlroy told Sky Sports earlier this week he felt Team Europe were still the underdogs heading into an away Ryder Cup in New York, despite having the more experienced line-up, a notion that Bradley has played down.
“To be honest with you, I really don’t care what they [Team Europe] are doing,” Bradley said ahead of the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship, live from Thursday on Sky Sports, where 10 of his team are competing. “I really don’t care what Team Europe does.
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Rory McIlroy looks ahead to the Ryder Cup at the end of September and reacts to a US Ryder Cup shirt containing a silhouette resembling him
“All I know is that, when I look at their team, I see maybe the best European Ryder Cup team ever. They’re really deep from top to bottom. They’ve got major champions and Rory’s having an historical year.
“They [Europe] are a confident group – they should be. They won the last Ryder Cup, their team is solid. Luke Donald is maybe the best captain ever and somebody that I’ve always looked up to. They should be confident but I really don’t care what they say about us – I only care about our team.”
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Will Donald lead Team Europe to a historic Ryder Cup victory over Team USA at Bethpage Black? Watch this year’s contest live from September 26-28 on Sky Sports Golf
Xander Schauffele is missing the Procore Championship due to the birth of his child and Bryson DeChambeau is ineligible due to him being a LIV Golf League player, although the two-time US Open champion has been in California this week to attend Team USA events.
“He [DeChambeau] has been incredible,” Bradley added. “He’s been more than willing to go above and beyond for this team. I think it’s a testament to what a good team-mate Bryson is.”
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Bryson DeChambeau revealed Bradley left personal notes in the lockers of USA Ryder Cup players ahead of the final round of The Open
All 10 of Bradley’s players in the field at the Silverado Resort have been drawn alongside at least one of their United States team-mates over the first two rounds, with Bradley having a strong idea on who he will pair together when the Ryder Cup begins on September 26.
“We’re 90 per cent I’d say,” Bradley said. “One of our goals was to have the guys prepared, ready to know who they’re playing with. Especially in alternate shot, I think that’s more important.
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Donald looks ahead to the Ryder Cup and the challenge facing his team
“I think best ball you can have a little more leeway there, but we’re pretty set here with what we’re going to do.”
Bradley added: “We really have a group of a great team. These guys really care about one another, they treat each other with respect. It’s the closest team I’ve ever seen.
“Our Presidents Cup team last year was easily the best team room I’ve ever been a part of – something that you really dream about as a kid with these team events. This group looks a little different on paper but it’s still the same dynamic.
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Speaking on The Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Bradley admitted leaving himself out of Team USA at the Ryder Cup was a tough decision
“This group of players, they’re truly friends and they’re friends off the golf course. In my teams that I played in before this, I don’t know if we exactly had that as much as this group does. They really care about one another.
“The thing that I’ve noticed is they really pull for each other and they want each other to do well. When I was playing, I wasn’t really pulling for anybody, I was wanting to beat and play my best. These guy are genuinely excited for their friend that wins a tournament and that’s really great.”
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Eamon Lynch shares his views on Bradley’s captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup and insists there are ‘no gambles’ among his selections
Who will win the Procore Championship? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday with Featured Groups from 9pm, ahead of full coverage from 11pm.
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There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, with round-the-clock coverage then live from 9am from Friday September 26. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
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