“They want to kill each other” – Keegan Bradley reveals the team mentality at the Presidents Cup
The US Team won the 2024 Presidents Cup at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal on Sunday. The Americans ended the competition at scores 18 1/2 to 11 1/2, to seal yet another victory over the International side. Keegan Bradley happened to score the winning point for the US side and seemed over the moon about it.
Bradley outlasted Si Woo Kim in the final round. The 2025 US Ryder Cup team captain paved the way for his country’s 13th win in the competition's 15 edition history. Interestingly, Bradley seemed more appreciative of the US Team room than the players’ on-ground performance. The ace golfer dubbed it the “greatest team room” he’s even been a part of.
The ace golfer stated that the players were all a ‘great’ set of friends and took care of each other outside of play. However, he added that the same golfers wanted to “kill each other” while playing inside the ropes.
Speaking about Jim Furyk’s US Team’s mentality at the Presidents Cup, Keegan Bradley said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:
“I gained a knowledge of the team room. You always hear about the US Team room not being whatever, and this is the most -- the greatest team room I've ever been a part of. It's the first time I've been on one of these where I've really, truly felt like I belonged on the team… It's really special. It's amazing to see. …
"I've never seen a group of guys more friends than these guys are. I'm sort of new to the group, but I'm so -- they inspire me because they truly want what's best for each other. When they're inside the ropes, they want to kill each other, but when they're outside the ropes, they care for each other, and they're just great people.”
It is pertinent to note that Bradley’s comments came amid queries about his learnings from the Presidents Cup team experience ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup. It is safe to say that the PGA Tour star will be eyeing to replicate a similar healthy dressing room at Bethpage in 2025.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley lauds Presidents Cup skipper
Keegan Bradley was highly appreciative of Jim Furyk after the US Team’s Presidents Cup win on Sunday. The 38-year-old golfer, who’s openly expressed his wish to be a playing captain at next year’s Ryder Cup, said he learned a lot from his 54-year-old skipper this week. He said lauded the latter for “what he did with the team room.”
The seven-time PGA Tour winner said he hopes Furyk is “proud” of his achievement in the biennial event.
Replying to a media query on if he learned anything from Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:
“A lot. What Jim did with the team room, what he did with team meetings, what he did with the pairings, what he did on Sunday through Wednesday, having us play matches against each other, you're not going to find a tougher match than within our own team.
"It's like when the Patriots practice against their defense back in the day. You're going to sharpen yourself there… I learned a lot, and I hope Jim is proud of what he's done here.”
It is pertinent to note that the US Team opened the Presidents Cup in Quebec with a stellar 5-0 lead on the opening day. However, they were surprised on Day 2 as Mike Wier’s International side achieved another clean sweep and settled scores at 5-5. Despite this, the US side kept cool and returned to finish with 18 1/2 to 11 1/2 on the final day.
Furyk’s side will have the Presidents Cup bragging rights till 2026 when the competition will return for its next edition to be held at Medinah Golf Club near Chicago.