Keegan Bradley, You Have Our Attention at the Ryder Cup

The closer we get to the starting gun going off, the more it feels like Team Europe has a real shot at winning on foreign soil. Now, I’m not guaranteeing it or anything like that, but man, they have a lot going for them on Long Island.

Luke Donald is back at the helm two years after winning in Rome. The roster has seen almost no turnover, with the only difference being Nicolai Hojgaard was replaced by his identical twin, Rasmus. And they're led by a player in Rory McIlroy who’s mentioned on several occasions throughout the last year what winning an away Cup would mean to him, his career, and the continent.

Those boys are ready to go to war for the Northern Irishman—and they better be. McIlroy all but guaranteed a W two years ago at Marco Simone.

With all that being said, I’m not sure Team USA could have a better man at the controls for this specific edition.

Keegan Bradley is obsessed with this event. He thinks about it every second of every day. And let me tell you, he doesn’t want to be the American captain that finally lets Team Europe hoist that 17-inch trophy Stateside.

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He’s gone above and beyond to bring this roster together—team dinners, requiring the boys to play in the Procore Championship—and that showed Tuesday when Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and the other Team USA members who visited the media center came to Bryson DeChambeau’s defense after Brandel Chamblee slandered him on Golf Channel—Bryson got his lick back on Wednesday, something you love to see.

And as a New England kid who attended St. John’s University, he knows what to expect from the fans in this part of the country. Loud, obnoxious, maybe even a little vulgar if you’re wearing the wrong colors. But what they’ll also do is go to battle for you if you give them a reason.

That’s why I think Friday morning’s foursomes (alternate shot) session is so important for this American team. If they can head into four-ball with any sort of lead, it’s going to be tough for Team Europe to flip the momentum with those psychos on the other side of the ropes.

Expect to see Team USA’s best on that first tee come 7:10 a.m. Friday.

So, is there a lot of pressure? Undoubtedly. But I think Keegan is the perfect man to lead this team, in this edition, at this golf course, in this environment.

Go prove me right, Keegs.