Kevin Kisner has opened up on the United States’ defeat to Europe in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black last month.
Kisner was one of Keegan Bradley‘s five vice-captains at the Ryder Cup, but they were outthought and outmaneuvered by Luke Donald and his deputies at Bethpage Black.
The US team were definitely outplayed by the Europeans, but Bradley and his vice-captains made some truly horrific decisions that contributed to the end result as well.
Kisner rejected claims that the European Ryder Cup team were more well-prepared than the United States side were, when replying to a post on social media.
However, now he has opened up fully about America’s Ryder Cup defeat to the Europeans back in September.
Kevin Kisner breaks Ryder Cup silence and makes Sunday singles admission
Brandt Snedeker spoke earlier this week about Team USA’s defeat at Bethpage.
Snedeker suggested the US Ryder Cup loss was merely a case of the Europeans simply holing more putts than the Americans.
And now Kisner has peddled a similar theory, when speaking on The Gravy & The Sleeze Podcast with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.
He said: “I’ve told a bunch of people since post-Ryder Cup and people still look at me funny when I say that but, we got our butts kicked for 12 hours two days in a row. We were feeling pretty down about everything we did, we did all this prep work and tried to put the guys in the best position. We basically just got out-putted for two days.
“We just had a really lopsided result and Sunday, I don’t care what anybody says, you don’t have a ton of hope when you’re down by seven in the Ryder Cup. The biggest comeback of all time is four or five I think, four I believe.
“I got out there and the first thing I see is the first two European guys are winning their matches through four or five holes and I’m like, ‘man this is tough‘.
“And then the tide started turning and the crowd started turning and we started making putts. We were winning all the crucial points and then on the radio we were like, ‘oh my gosh, we got a chance to actually do this boys’.
“Getting that fired up and the crowd getting that fired up. I got to stand on the 12th tee for about an hour and watch every group come through. I could hear on the radio that Cam Young made that putt before they put it on the scoreboard, so I pointed at the scoreboard and raised my hands, then they posted it and the crowd would go nuts.
“Then Justin Thomas did it and Bryson came back and these people are just going crazy out there, the energy was so much fun. It was just a cool thing to be a part of.“
Kisner admitted that even the most positive people inside the United States dressing room didn’t think that a comeback on Sunday was possible.
However, the really frustrating thing for American golf fans is that it didn’t need to be that way.
US in danger of more Ryder Cup misery with false narrative being peddled
There is a lot to be said for owning your mistakes. After all, can anyone ever truly improve or move forward without admitting their own shortcomings first?
This is where Bradley and his vice-captains are going wrong.
Every member of the 2025 US Ryder Cup captaincy team needs to own up about one of the main reasons why they lost – Bradley making some appalling decisions throughout the week.
Bradley playing Collin Morikawa and Harris English together twice in the foursomes, despite all of the data telling him not to, was unforgivable.
He then showed a complete lack of leadership by allowing Russell Henley to take the odd numbered tee shots at Bethpage on day one, with Scottie Scheffler taking the even holes.
All of the data pointed towards the longest hitter being suited to the odd numbered tee shots. Bradley has since said he spent a long time going through all of the data.
So he’s either making that up or he did undergo a data deep-dive, only to ignore the results. Either way, he doesn’t come out looking great.
Kisner, Bradley and co need to realize there were many reasons why the United States lost the Ryder Cup.
Europe’s superior putting was obviously one of them, but with so many of the American team suggesting that was the only reason, they could be in for much more disappointment in the years to come at the Ryder Cup.
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