Welcome! Where are you, you ask. I call this the weekend 9. See it as a place to warm you up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will have thoughts. We have tips. We have tweets. But in total only nine, although sometimes perhaps more and sometimes perhaps less. What are I am concerned? The sections below tell part of the story. I can be reached at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
Of all the words, Keegan Bradley said on Wednesday during the press conference of his captain – about 10,000, according to the transcript – four fell me. Before he said them, he was silent. After he said them, he laughed.
“I’m glad it’s over.”
Was he serious? Or was he humorous? Did he like to select six Americans for next month’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black? Or did he hate telling other compatriots that they were short of? In this case they are all probably true. As this is: the decision is in fact over, which raises another question:
How did he do it?
Three topics were discussed for me on Wednesday. Let’s try to assess them.
Keegan Bradley did not choose Keegan Bradley
Why, according to Bradley: “I grew up playing Ryder Cups. I grew up with wanting to fight beside these guys. It broke my heart not to play. You really worked. You work forever to make these teams, but in the end I was chosen to do a job. I would do that. I would do that. I thought what I thought was best for this team.
Figure: Let’s call the decision a B-plus. Here were the other choices:
;)
Keegan Bradley was robbed of his Ryder Cup -Drome. He has built a new one
Dylan Dethier
– He could have picked himself and remained captain. This would have been a B. Say what you want about how important a captain is, there is still a time spent. More than likely his vice captains would have been performed. But focus on his own game would probably have suffered. On the other hand, as Golf’s Sean Zak wrote earlier this week, he saw Keegan Bradley when playing captain had been a great theater.
– He could have chosen himself and delegated all the responsibilities of the captain to a vice captain. This would have been an A. It illuminates the care for play focus. You are also still the captain, although only in name.
– He had the PGA of the American offer to reject the captain. This would also have been a B, although it should of course have been decided last year. Although the chance of leading the Americans is extremely special, it also paused the dream to play. Here I will point out a story of Golf’s Dylan Dethier, headed: “Keegan Bradley was robbed of his Ryder Cup dream. He built a new one,” and it can be read here.
– Eventually he chose Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns. I love the idea that it motivates them, with their thoughts: If he has chosen me above himself, I have to deliver. It is the safe game. Things like that can be appreciated in Golf.
The question is, who would Bradley drop the players he chose? You could claim everyone outside of Thomas, although it is difficult. Does Bradley choose himself over Morikawa or Cantlay, who did not win each this year? Perhaps, but Morikawa is also one of the best ball strikers on the planet, and Cantlay is 5-2-1 in two Ryder Cup performances (and 10-4 over three president cups). Does Bradley choose himself above Griffin or Young, both newcomers in Ryder Cup? Maybe, but Griffin has also won twice this year, and Young has been one of the most popular players in Golf in the past month. What about burns? I think Bradley’s choice was here and this season he went with the leader of the PGA Tour in the obtained strokes: well.
Keegan Bradley also did not opt for Maverick McNealy, Chris Gotterup and others
Said Bradley when he was asked about McNealy: “Very difficult call to call MAV. Incredible boy, played well all year round. I was very in the front with the boys who have never made the team before. In most cases you have to make the team in your first team. It is really difficult to get a choice in your first team event. I made that very clearly for him and he still played great.
I played with him a number of times this year. I am really impressed by his game. I told him it’s okay to be angry. I have usually left these calls really angry. You can use this as fuel. I said, please be angry with me and make the next team. To make [the] Presidents Cup Team. I used that most of my career as a fuel and I advised MAV to do the same. He made a great run to make this team, and in the end it was a really difficult decision. “
;)
The top of the US Ryder Cup snub? Keegan Bradley gave him advice
Nick Piastowski
Figure: B-plus, given his options. I think McNealy, Gotterup and Andrew Novak can make a Ryder Cup team on the road, but the six chosen players are solid.
However, I wonder what the choices would have looked like when Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Max Homa, Patrick Reed, Tony Finau and Sahith teagala were among the top 25 points.
#Assessment #Keegan #Bradley #Phil #Mickelson #thinking #King #Weekend