European players cooler than ever after Keegan Bradley's 'kick their f***ing a**' comment ahead of Ryder Cup: "Not out of bounds"

By Amey Kulkarni

Modified Mar 02, 2025 16:27 GMT

European golfers react to Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup comments. Image via Getty Images

The Ryder Cup is set to be played this year from September 26 to 28 at the Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, New York. Even though the tournament is more than six months away, the tension and banter between the players has already started.

Keegan Bradley will be the skipper of the United States for the 2025 Ryder Cup. His speech after winning the Presidents Cup last year is going viral from Netflix's Full Swing.

"I’m gonna get criticized as the captain next year," Bradley said. "They’re gonna underestimate me. They’re gonna doubt me. I’ve been doubted my whole f—ing life. That’s when I do my best work. “We’re gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f***ing a**!"

This clip has brought an instant reaction from the European players expected to be part of the team for the eagerly anticipated event.

"Oh yeah. We’ve all seen it," Shane Lowry was quoted as saying by Golf.com ahead of the Cognizant Classic.

Shane Lowry talks about Keegan Bradley's Ryder Cup comments - Source: Getty

After that Shane Lowry appeared on Golf Channel's Golf Today and gave a bit more diplomatic answer.

"Obviously, I saw it," Lowry said. "Look, they’re going to be fired up to go beat us. Keegan is going to be a great captain, and we’re under no illusion that [he won’t be]. We’re certainly not going to doubt him. And I’m sure Luke Donald is going to prepare his team as best he can, and we’ll give it a go when it comes to it," Lowry said.

The European Ryder Cup veteran and former vice-captain, Francesco Molinari, said this wasn't a "big deal".

“It’s not a big deal. Those things happen all the time. I can understand why Keegan did it. We love to win. They love to win. What Keegan said, was not out of bounds," Molinari told Golf Channel.

Luke Donald, the skipper of the European side, has not reacted to Bradley's statement. So, it will be interesting to see if he resonates with his fellow European golfers.

2025 Ryder Cup rankings

Views of Bethpage Black, Host of the 2025 Ryder Cup - Source: Getty

The 2025 Ryder Cup teams have started to take some shape now, with the top six ranked golfers qualifying automatically while the captain will select the next six golfers via captain's pick.

Here are the top-10 ranked golfers from both sides and in contention to make it to the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Team USA