Captain Keegan Bradley pleads his case
Plus, why we took (some) joy in Fleetwood's collapse
The week after the U.S. Open delivered tons of action.
Keegan Bradley beat Tommy Fleetwood in a dramatic finish at the Travelers Championship and Minjee Lee won her third major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
There was triumph, heartbreak and a lot of questions that need answers. We start with Captain Keegan…
The leading edge
By Nate
I’ve seen enough — Captain Keegan Bradley needs to play on the Ryder Cup team.
With “USA” chants rippling through Keegan’s New England home crowd, he darted an iron to five feet on the 72nd hole, drained the putt and completed a comeback against European Ryder Cup regular Tommy Fleetwood.
Nobody cared what a signature event win meant for Keegan’s career — all they cared about is whether it propels him to becoming a playing captain at Bethpage in September. If it happens, it would mark the first time a captain has participated in the event since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
The debates are nothing but quiet, with Amanda Balionis immediately asking if he’s had a change of heart on joining the squad. His response was as simple as the crowd’s chant.
“Go USA.”
In his presser after, Captain America had some deeper thoughts.
“This certainly changes a lot of things. I was never going to play on the team unless I had won a tournament and so that's changed, but we'll see.”
So yes — things have changed for camp Keegan, now ranked seventh in the world and ninth in strokes gained with a win under his belt.
Does Team USA relieve his captaincy, insert Tiger Woods, and roll Keegan onto the first tee?
Do they stick to the original game plan and leverage his form to rally an ego-driven unit?
Or, do they let Keegan walk into Bethpage with a “C” on his chest and clubs in hand?
I think you need to let one of the best players in the world lead by example. This isn’t some washed-up pro with an overpowering and proven ability to lead a team from the sidelines — it’s simply a charismatic and patriotic golfer whose game can clearly compete with the best.
It’s also important to remember this is an exhibition tournament originally created to produce healthy rivalry and national pride. While there’s a lot on the line for the players and fans, it’s also necessary to promote the best entertainment product possible.
If you think Keegan choosing HIMSELF to go out in the first group and hype up a rowdy New York crowd is anything but theatre — I’m afraid you’ve lost the plot.
I mean, this is a moment for a guy to exercise his personal demons from The Miracle at Medinah and put his damn balls on the table. Extreme confidence, ego and pride — the true American way, right?
As a Canadian with no intrinsic investment in this tournament (debatable, go Europe), the thought of Keegan becoming a player captain can even get me fired up.
This team doesn’t need more distractions for the next three months — they need someone to take action.
Captain Keegan, you’re up.
The false front
By Myles
Tommy Fleetwood is why sports are the best. Excuse me if that sounds a touch sadistic just 24 hours after a crushing collapse — it’s just that his continued struggle to finally win on the PGA Tour is beyond fascinating.
You didn’t even need to watch the raw emotion of his post-round interview to understand the anguish Fleetwood felt as he fought to hang onto the three-shot lead he held entering play on Sunday. It’s hard to describe but you could just see it on his face — it, in this case, being a lack of confidence, the type you’d see in the Atlanta Falcons or Toronto Maple Leafs, as the weight of their tortured histories come crushing down at the worst moments. Add Fleetwood to that list.
It is really unexplainable. Fleetwood is one of the purest ball strikers on Tour — he’s won multiple times in Europe and been a strong Ryder Cup player to boot. That he can’t win on U.S. soil, from the Byron Nelson to the Masters, doesn’t add up. If golf was played on spreadsheets, Fleetwood would likely have a couple wins and maybe even a major. Alas.
Maybe Fleetwood will get out of it. The Falcons and Leafs certainly haven’t, but Rory McIlroy emphatically did, ending his major drought with a green jacket just in April. And Tommy seems like he has his head on straight — yes, his latest collapse affects him, but no, it won’t ruin him.
Still, scar tissue in golf is a tough thing to overcome. The more it builds for Fleetwood, the harder it becomes to shed. That we get to watch his story continue to play out over the next one, five or 10 years is a treat.
Links roundup
Just binged Owen Wilson’s new golf show Stick on Apple TV — and honestly, you should too.
Tommy Fleetwood added another close call to the list, this time losing to Grant Horvat in a YouTube match.
Swing thoughts
By Myles
I have a confession: I have no clue how to hit fairway woods off the deck.
Is it a driver? An iron? Somewhere in between? You could tell me any of the three and I’d believe you.
What’s frustrating is that all the olds wield their woods as weapons — and yet here I am, 30 years old, unable to hit the club cleanly. Just give me my five-iron and let’s move on.
The latest I heard was that woods should be treated like a long iron. And really, I should take a lesson or just hit it more to figure out.
But one bad shot and it’ll be back to the drawing board.
Open to any and all suggestions.