Team USA did everything they could to rid themselves of their home advantage at Bethpage Black for the Ryder Cup.
It’s a course that would traditionally be well-suited to the Americans. It’s a long course with thick rough and fast greens – exactly the type of venue that would have given Europe trouble in years past.
But Keegan Bradley took the teeth out of Bethpage Black, shortening the rough and turning it into a putting contest between the sides. So when Justin Thomas revealed that the greens weren’t as fast as the Americans wanted, it provided yet another reason why the hosts suffered such a humiliating loss.
Thomas explained on the No Laying Up podcast that his team argued with the greenkeepers about the speed of the putting surfaces all week. He said Bradley had asked for fast greens, but they hadn’t been delivered.
He said, “I don’t know why they [the greens] weren’t at all what Keegan had asked for. I mean, he had been pretty clear of asking for a certain speed and wanting it fast enough. I watched them argue with us that they were 13s [on the Stimpmeter].”
Thomas wasn’t the first American to say this, as vice captain Jim Furyk also said players doubted that the greens were as fast as they were being told. In fairness to Team USA, Bethpage Black locals had never seen the course play like this before.
Whether the greens really were slower than they’d asked for, or they were just in Team USA’s head, their complaints have given Team Europe a blueprint moving forward. That proves Jon Rahm’s point from 2022 exactly correct.
Why Justin Thomas’ comments could come back to bite Team USA in 2027
Team USA could not handle the slow greens of Bethpage Black, but if Adare Manor plays as it did the last time it hosted a professional event, then they need not worry. Xander Schauffele won the 2022 JP McManus Pro-Am, and he was one of four Americans to finish in the top five.
That led to Rahm saying Adare Manor needed “de-Americanizing” ahead of 2027. He said, “They might need to spend a lot of time and resources on de-Americanizing the golf course. Because right now, it would be pretty much what you would expect in a Ryder Cup in the US.
Was Bethpage the biggest disappointment at the 2025 Ryder Cup?
“Based on what I saw in Paris and what I’ve seen in other venues, Ryder Cup in Europe is a little different. They might spend some time and effort to do that obviously, to suit our strength, right?”
If that wasn’t obvious to Team Europe in 2022, then it should be now. However slow they were planning on making the greens for Adare Manor in two years’ time, it isn’t slow enough. Team USA showed how much they struggle when greens aren’t running fast, and now Thomas has confirmed that to the world.
So Rahm is exactly right. The Americans haven’t won in Europe since 1993, partly because they excel at exploiting their home advantage. Not only did the course setup cost Team USA the win in 2025, but it could well cost them again in 2027.
What Team USA needs to do if they stand any chance of winning in 2027
Yes, Team Europe’s players mostly play on the PGA Tour. It’s not as if the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood aren’t familiar with the speed of the greens in America. But what they have over their American opponents is a variety of experience.
Scottie Scheffler is set to make his first post-Ryder Cup appearance at the Hero World Challenge this week. Meanwhile, McIlroy and Fleetwood effectively had no time off. They both took straight to the DP World Tour for the Race to Dubai.
Did Keegan Bradley make a bigger mistake than how he set up Bethpage Black at the Ryder Cup?
Europe’s top stars are well-versed in every type of course across countries worldwide, which simply isn’t the case with some Americans. Earlier in the year, Scheffler revealed he simply doesn’t want to play abroad unless it’s in preparation for The Open Championship.
Scheffler won The Open in fairness to him, but Royal Portrush didn’t have the typical bite you would expect from a links course in 2025. So if Adare Manor is de-Americanized by 2027, Team USA needs to diversify their schedule in the build-up, or they’ll suffer the same fate with slow greens.
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