Bradley Under Fire as U.S. Trails After Day 1

Keegan Bradley, who earlier removed himself from playing consideration and used his six captain's picks to complete the U.S. Ryder Cup team, saw his side trail Europe 5½–2½ after Day 1 at Bethpage Black. Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood each won both their matches while Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau suffered losses. Bradley drew heavy criticism for reusing the Harris English–Collin Morikawa foursomes pairing—ranked 132nd of 132 by Data Golf—which performed poorly, and observers said Europe’s established foursomes (Rahm/Hatton, Fleetwood/McIlroy, Åberg/Fitzpatrick/Hovland) formed a firewall that stifled U.S. momentum. Bradley pushed back, saying the Americans are “not out,” noting only 28% of points have been played, and defended theatrical choices such as pairing Justin Thomas with Bryson DeChambeau to energize the crowd. The contest has been shaped as much by Bethpage's demanding setup and an intense New York crowd as by pairing decisions and early results.