Keegan Bradley informed of the very ‘biggest mistake’ he made as Ryder Cup captain by multiple major winner

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Keegan Bradley had a Ryder Cup to forget at Bethpage Black.

In fairness to the first-time captain, he was put in an impossible situation by the PGA of America. Bradley wanted to play in the Ryder Cup badly, and spent all season attempting to qualify for the team while juggling his captain’s responsibilities. 

Bradley’s mistakes at the Ryder Cup are still there to be picked apart. They cost the team points on Friday and Saturday, and Team USA only lost 15-13 after a miraculous comeback on Sunday. 

Selecting Collin Morikawa and Harris English as a pairing on the first two days gave up two points itself, and the course setup played into Europe’s hands. But Bradley’s biggest mistake happened months before the tournament, according to Dame Laura Davies.

Dame Laura Davies says Keegan Bradley should never have been captain

Bradley was selected as captain despite being in the running to play in the Ryder Cup. He was heartbroken to be snubbed by Zach Johnson for the 2023 event in Rome and had his sights set on qualifying for New York. 

Midway through the season, that looked increasingly possible. Bradley won the Travelers Championship, beating Tommy Fleetwood on the final hole to shoot up Team USA’s standings. While he didn’t perform well at the end of the season, he admitted that he was fighting to finish in the top six. 

With the way he was playing, Davies said that Bradley would have served the American team better as a player, so he should have given up the captaincy.

She said on TalkSport, “Well, I think his biggest mistake was, he should have played, but not as a captain. I think being a playing captain is beyond, the Ryder Cup’s too big now to do that.

“So, that should have happened about six months ago, but then, from Keegan’s point of view, if all of a sudden he gives the captaincy away and he doesn’t get in the team because the new captain doesn’t pick him, then he’s in trouble on both ends of it.

“It was a difficult decision for Keegan, I have to say. But I think he should have given that captaincy up a while ago.”

Bradley is unlikely to be captain in 2027 after his performance in New York, but the same can’t be said for his counterpart, Luke Donald. The Englishman has now won back-to-back Ryder Cups, and is weighing whether to go for a third. 

Davies was asked who would be Team Europe’s captain for Adare Manor in 2027, and said, “Luke Donald, 100%, he has to.”

Dame Laura Davies says Scottie Scheffler isn’t the Golfer of the Year

Scottie Scheffler had a dominant 2025, so much so that he was compared to Tiger Woods throughout the season. He added two major championships, won six PGA Tour events, and was in contention week in, week out. 

But Davies said that Rory McIlroy should beat Scheffler to the Golfer of the Year award. The Northern Irishman has had a remarkable season. 

Not only did he win an away Ryder Cup, but he also completed the career grand slam at the Masters, won at Pebble Beach, The Players, and the Irish Open. It was a historic season that confirmed McIlroy’s status as an all-time legend of the game. 

Davies said that’s why McIlroy gets her vote. She explained: “I’ll have to go with Rory because you know, being a member of that Grand Slam club.

“That’s something hopefully for Scottie, one day he’ll do, and I think he would accept that to get into that very limited club, I think there’s only seven of them now, it’s quite extraordinary.

“Scottie’s had another incredible year. He’s incredible, but you know, his Ryder Cup performance is inexplicable, to be honest with you. But great years for both of them. But Rory, you’ve got to give him the nod because his leadership in the Ryder Cup just caps it for me.”

Scheffler went 1-4-0 over the Ryder Cup, becoming the first player to lose his first four matches in a Ryder Cup since the new format was introduced. That could well cost him the award.

Dame Laura Davies hails ‘impossible’ Justin Rose shot

Justin Rose was one of the most important players for Europe at the tournament. He secured two points in fourball alongside Fleetwood, beating Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau on Saturday afternoon. 

During Sunday’s singles, he hit a remarkable shot just feet from the hole after finding his ball behind a grandstand. He had to reach over a rope to hit his shot uphill towards the green with a downhill lie, and hit what Davies said on commentary was “the shot of his life.”

She remembered the shot of the tournament: “I mean that shot you were talking about the Justin Rose shot, just wasn’t possible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. Radar was down there. I spoke to him afterwards, and he said it’s just not possible to hit the shot he hit.

“You could tell by Radar’s voice it was one of the most extraordinary shots. And at the time, it was so necessary because that’s when it appeared that we were struggling to find points.”

Rose ultimately lost his singles match to Cameron Young, but his shot on the 13th hole will be remembered forever.