United States team captain Keegan Bradley told reporters Tuesday that the country’s loss at the 2025 Ryder Cup was the “darkest time of my life probably” and “definitely of my career.”
“Really, it’s been tough for all of us; not just me, the players as well,” he continued. “I feel like every time I see a player on the team here I want to just go give him a hug and sit down and chat. But I’m grateful for everybody. I’m in a unique position where I could make another team, which has never been done. I would love to do that.”
The United States was soundly beaten in the first two days of the event, as Europe scored 11.5 points to just 4.5 points for the United States. While the Americans mounted a respectable (albeit futile) comeback on the final day, leaving the final margin a far more respectable 15-13 in favor of Europe, the damage was done.
And the team took it hard. Bradley noted that it’s only been the past couple of weeks where he’s started feeling like himself again, though left the door open to be the captain again if asked.
“I have this like gaping hole in my career now that I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to fill,” he said. “This isn’t something that you lose the Masters, you lose a tournament, I’m going to work extra hard to get back and win. Being the captain of the Ryder Cup team is not something you can work hard for, it’s just something that’s sort of elected on you. I don’t know. Of course I would love to do it again, I would love to avenge that loss, but that’s not up to me. That’s not up to—I don’t think that’s fair for me to come out here and say that. But I would love to do it again at some point. I don’t know if that will ever happen, probably won’t. I think if you ask any losing captain if they would like to do it again, they would all want another shot.”