Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup hopes look bleak after Friday’s play, but it’s not an impossible task for Team USA.
They were staring a sweep in the face in Friday’s foursomes, but Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay saved the hosts from that embarrassment with clutch play on 17 and 18. Instead, Team Europe led 3-1 after one event.
There were a number of standout performances for Bradley’s team in the first session, and not for the right reasons. Russell Henley took the blame for his showing alongside Scottie Scheffler.
Justin Thomas also played poorly alongside Bryson DeChambeau in the first morning group. There were calls for Bradley to consider dropping Thomas until Sunday after his opening round, but the captain’s decision may have saved USA’s Ryder Cup chances.
Sticking with Justin Thomas could have saved the Ryder Cup for Bradley’s Team USA
Bradley stuck with Thomas for the afternoon session. Thomas has been the heart and soul of Team USA for a number of years, and when playing well, is the perfect man to energize what was a subdued American crowd.
There was a significant reputational risk for Bradley in picking Thomas for fourball. As a first-time captain, it’s still unknown whether he has the ability to make difficult calls when needed. By staying with the experience and star status of Thomas, it could have been seen as a weak decision.
But Thomas rewarded Bradley’s bravery by potentially saving the tournament for Team USA. Alongside Cameron Young, he beat Ludvig Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard 6&5 in fourball, which proved to be the USA’s only win of the afternoon.
The American recovered from his morning mishaps brilliantly, hyping up the home crowd with phenomenal approach shots and clutch putting. The match was never really in doubt.
And on a day where everything went wrong for Bradley’s side, few would have expected Thomas to be the player to give them a glimmer of hope.
Scottie Scheffler played poorly and lost both matches on Friday, as while he played well, DeChambeau also fell twice. But Thomas delivered. They trail after a day of play 5 1/2 – 2 1/2 , down, but not out.
Keegan Bradley faced with Scottie Scheffler dilemma
Few would have thought that Scheffler would be Bradley’s biggest headache on Saturday, but here we are. The world number one was poor on Friday, and now Bradley must consider whether his star man needs a breather.
Scheffler received the benefit of the doubt in the morning. He played with a Ryder Cup rookie in Russell Henley, who took the blame for the result. There was no running from his afternoon’s performance, though.
Scheffler couldn’t buy a putt throughout Friday. He looked perplexed by the greens throughout the day, and Rahm neutralized the only long putt he made.
His Ryder Cup record is now being called into question. Scheffler looked to avenge his record-breaking loss from 2023, but he’s been a no-show so far.
Bradley made the right call, sticking with Thomas. Will he make the right call with his next big decision?
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