Ryder Cup Upset: U.S. Captaincy Blunders Hand Europe Decisive Victory

In September 2025, the European Ryder Cup team delivered a decisive victory over the United States at Bethpage Black, ending the decade-long era of home blowouts. While American captain Keegan Bradley pointed to Europe's strong play as the explanation, the article argues that the real reason behind the U.S. team's humiliation was a series of captaincy failures.

Despite the statistical parity between the two teams, Europe held a commanding 7-point lead going into the singles matches, a deficit the U.S. was unable to overcome. The article suggests this was due to the institutional advantages Europe has built over decades, which gave them an edge in the pairs sessions before the first ball was struck.

Keegan Bradley's questionable decisions as captain, including pairing Harris English and Collin Morikawa together despite their poor performance, are heavily criticized. The article also highlights Bradley's failure to notice issues with the team's playing order, such as Russell Henley teeing off on the wrong holes. These seemingly small mistakes, the article argues, are indicative of larger incompetence that ultimately cost the U.S. team the Ryder Cup.

The article cautions against overreacting to the result, noting that the U.S. had previously found success by learning from their European counterparts and building a coherent system. However, it warns that the U.S. has now returned to the "Watson-esque paradigm" of one man's idiosyncrasies having an outsized impact on the team's performance.