Keegan Bradley’s attempt to inspire his team and the home crowd during the Ryder Cup opening ceremony hit a bump in the road.
The Team USA captain made a blunder over a key moment in the event’s history. Europe captain Luke Donald was the first to take the stage during Wednesday’s kick-off at Bethpage Black.
He took a jab at the Americans for being paid, but when Bradley followed, he mixed up his Justins – specifically Leonard and Rose – resulting in an uncomfortable silence from the spectators.
Bradley has done an excellent job of rallying his players ahead of the face-off with Europe in New York, which starts on Friday. For the most part, his speech in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Bethpage was successful, garnering plenty of support from the locals while also showing due respect to Donald and his defending champions.
However, when it came to recounting a crucial Ryder Cup memory that Bradley says was a turning point in his love of golf, he faltered.
Bradley stated: “The Ryder Cup became personal for me in 1999 at Brookline. I was 13 years old, perched on my dad’s shoulders, watching Justin Rose’s miracle putt drop on 17. When the crowd erupted on 18, my dad let me join in on the celebration.
“That was the moment golf stopped being a game and started being a calling. That day changed my life. I come from New England, but I went to St. John’s. That’s where I fell in love with New York.”
Bradley nailed the narrative perfectly, except for one glaring mistake. It was Justin Leonard who drained that decisive putt at Brookline; Justin Rose hails from England, not America, and has featured in four triumphant European Ryder Cup campaigns.
Making the blunder even more cringe-worthy, Rose was positioned on the opposite side of the platform, gearing up to fulfill a crucial role in Donald’s strategy as he prepares for his seventh Ryder Cup appearance. Fortunately for Bradley, he managed to steer the presentation back on track and concluded his speech with stirring passion.
“To our 12 players, you’re bonded in a way I’ve never seen before. I’ve learned so much from you, about how to live, about how to compete, and about how to lead. You’ve changed me as a player and as a person. You’ve inspired me every day,” he said.
“Being your captain is an honor of a lifetime. Thank you. We know the atmosphere this weekend will be electric, raucous, and yes, respectful. That’s part of what makes the Ryder Cup so special on both sides of the pond.
“I’ve never forgotten what it felt like to run on to that green at Brookline, watching a team come together in a way that changed my life. The moment lit a fire in me, and this week that same Ryder Cup fire will fuel our team. It will drive us through every match, every moment and every challenge.
“It’s the fire that lives in every boy or girl with an impossible dream, and it’s the fire that makes the Ryder Cup unlike anything else in sports. Over the next three days, we’ll play with heart, play with honor, and we’ll play with every dream sparked by the fire of this competition, because the Ryder Cup doesn’t just test skill; it reveals soul. We are on a quest to reclaim the Ryder Cup. We face a mighty opponent. The challenge will be fierce. The pressure will be real.”