The words Keegan Bradley said to the American team in group meeting on the first tee at Bethpage Black on Monday

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Keegan Bradley and the American players have arrived at Bethpage Black, which plays host to the Ryder Cup this week.

Bradley regrets not picking himself to play at the team tournament, which pits the United States against Europe every two years.

Europe have arrived at Bethpage Black as the defending champions, having beaten their fierce rivals 16½-11½ in Rome in 2023.

Luke Donald is once again captain of Team Europe, who are looking for their fifth away win in the history of the Ryder Cup.

They have recent history on their side ahead of the upcoming tournament, having won eight of the past 11 events, and 10 of the last 14.

What Keegan Bradley said to the US Ryder Cup team in a meeting on the first tee at Bethpage Black

It is a trend that Bradley will be desperate to stop this week, with the captain doing his best to motivate his players as the action approaches.

As per the Ryder Cup USA, he told his team in a meeting on the first tee at Bethpage: “I don’t care if it’s raining, if it’s cold, if it’s hot.

READ MORE: Keegan Bradley makes interesting comment about the condition of Bethpage Black days before the Ryder Cup starts

“We are going to be relentless competitors on this golf course. Out there that is our arena. This is our time. This is our time!

“This week, this is our home course. This week, this is the course we grew up on. This week, we are the Nassau Players Club.”

Why Keegan Bradley is in a difficult position as the Ryder Cup rapidly approaches

Bradley is popular with the American players, but his standing with the fans should now increase after his latest efforts at Bethpage.

It’s fair to say that he wasn’t the most popular choice when announced as Ryder Cup captain, replacing Zach Johnson after the loss in Rome in 2023.

But he has undoubtedly slowly but surely won over many fans, having shown just how much the role means to him time and again since being handed the huge responsibility.

He’s also made the admirable decision not to pick himself to play, which was clearly a very emotional and arduous process for the skipper.

Unfortunately, however, he will only really be judged on the result of the Ryder Cup, with his tenure set to be viewed by many as a complete failure if the United States don’t come out on top.

He does have home advantage on his side, but Europe will be up for a fight at Bethpage, where they will be doing all they can to upset Bradley and his players, and of course the fans.