LIVE | Press Conference | Captains Luke Donald & Keegan Bradley | Sep 22 | 2025 Ryder Cup

Watch Ryder Cup Captains Luke Donald (Team Europe) and Keegan Bradley (Team USA) hold a joint press conference ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

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Every two years, 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition. The European Team are the reigning champions after winning at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in 2023. Drama, tension, incredible golf, camaraderie and sportsmanship are served in equal measure, captivating an audience of millions around the world. It’s an event that transcends sport, yet remains true to the spirit of its founder, Samuel Ryder. The 2025 Ryder Cup is set to take place at Bethpage Black in New York.

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things started. Captain Donald, welcome back to Beth Page. As you embark on your second RDER Cup as European captain, what are your thoughts on your team, the black course, and the challenge ahead? Yeah, thank you. Um, yeah, I think the last three and a half years, um, being able to do this captaincy twice has been one of the most rewarding things in my life. Um, it’s been a privilege and to obviously get an opportunity to do one home and one away is something not a lot of people have had that opportunity and uh I certainly don’t take it for granted. Um, as I said, some of the best moments of my career have been in Ryder Cups as player, as a vice captain, and now as captain. And um, very excited about this week. Uh, we understand the challenge ahead. Um, I have a great team, a team that I’m I’m very confident in, team that has a lot of form, um, and a team that’s been together quite a lot over the last few years. But, uh, very excited to be here at Beth Paige Black, obviously in New York. I think it’s an incredible location, state park, a public facility, and um, very excited for it to get going. It’s it’s been a long buildup, and now it’s time to to to let the guys go play. Thank you very much, Luke. Captain Bradley, how’s it feel to finally be here at Beth Page with the opening matches just a few days away. Yeah, it feels it feels really amazing, especially sitting next here to to Luke Donald. Uh, you know, I came here as an 18-year-old kid going to St. John’s, played the Red Course as our home tournament, and to come back as the RDER Cup captain is something beyond my wildest dream. So, it’s uh it’s been a really magical week for us so far. uh being around the guys and and just seeing how well they’re bonded and being out at this incredible venue has been unbelievable. Um you know, this is been one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced in my life. And to experience it alongside a friend like Luke Donald and uh an amazing team of of Europe that’s um coming off a great win uh has been awesome. And every day that I get up and get to hang with our guys and come out to this amazing golf course and experience a Ryder Cup again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a Ryder Cup and uh I can’t tell you how amazing it’s been to see the American flag, to see the RDER Cup logo, and to be a part of this great tournament again. Thank you very much, Keegan. Let’s open up the floor to questions. Start right here on microphone number seven, please. Hey guys, two subjects if I may. First, can we talk about course setup? Keegan, have you done anything to give your team an edge? Luke, do you see anything that’s been done to the court that might be a disadvantage to you guys? What do you think, LD? Um, you know, we were we we haven’t been out as a team this week so far. We were out here Monday and Tuesday for a practice trip. Um, you know, I think it’s nothing really out of the ordinary of what we expected. Uh you look at previous RDER Cups, you know, held um in the US, not not a ton of rough. Um the greens are a good speed. Um you know, I think Beth Paige is is a tough course, but it’s certainly not set up like a US Open. So I think you’re going to have to expect to um you know, go out there and and make some birdies. These are worldclass players. Yeah, I think we we sort of look at the analytical data and how our players perform at their best and we set the course up accordingly. One of the uh great things about being the home captain is to be able to have a little say in how the course is set up. Uh but again, the course is I’ve been out here I’ve played this course 50 to 100 times. This is probably the best condition I’ve ever seen it. Uh really proud of the superintendent and the the staff out here to get this course to look this this amazing. And as a follow up on a lighter note, one of the things the Ryder Cup is known for is the atmosphere. The songs you hear a lot of songs over the years. Have you guys got a favorite or something that you’ve heard that you thought was particularly amusing or memorable? I think uh there’s there’s lots of songs and and chants that have been around in Ryder Cups for for many years. I feel like our team is very good at coming up with new ones for depending on who the players are are there. Um, you know, there’s there’s so many to think about, but uh, you know, I think what what makes Ryder Cups fun is is the atmosphere is that uh the energy that it brings. It really is an environment that you want to experience as a player. Um, because it’s nothing quite like it that you get to play in an individual tournament. So, you know, I think these guys um embrace that. They they thrive in it and they’re they’re they’re looking forward to uh hearing the noise out there. Yeah. I think uh you know what what I love about the RDER Cup is I feel like every hole is the last hole of a tournament. So, you can kind of let that emotion out. And I think you see a lot of players that play with a lot of of emotion play well at RDER Cups because they don’t have to hold it in. Uh I’m constantly trying to hold it in uh my old career. And you know, when you come out in a in an exciting environment like this, um you can let that emotion out and enjoy it even on the first hole on Friday, which is uh always fun. Um I always really enjoyed the European chants. They’re very creative and fun. Ours are a little bit more um USA oriented, but uh I really enjoy the atmosphere that that happens at Ryder Cups and can’t wait to see the one here at New York. Over to Mark on one, please. This is for Keegan and and Luke. Um, in terms of captain versus captain, you guys aren’t playing each other. Obviously, you know, the club’s in your hand, but I’m kind of curious, you know, I know Keegan, you’re a big team sport guy, and I’m sure you’ve secondguessed your Red Sox manager a number of times over the years. You guys will be second guessed by the fans or whatever and whatnot in the decisions you make. Um, how much do you feel like captain versus captain is a factor in terms of the decisions you guys make and etc. in terms of the, you know, the end result this week. Well, you know, I certainly uh am well aware of what an incredible person Luke is to start. Um, you know, he’s a a guy I’ve spent a lot of time with over the years. Uh, really fun person to be around. Um, I know how he can rally a group of players. I also am very aware of what an incredible captain he is. Uh, you know, as far as I’m concerned, he’s one of the greatest European captains ever. So, it’s a tall task for me to match up against Luke Donald, but I got a great uh crew around me, a great group of vice captains, Jim Furick, Bran Steder, all these guys, and an incredible team of players. So, um it’s it’s really difficult. I’m not trying to match what Luke’s doing. Um we got our own team. I’m worried about what my team is doing, but I have nothing but extreme respect for for Luke Donald and what he’s done in his career and for Ryder Cup Europe. Yeah, I mean, likewise. um very have so much respect for Keegan and what he’s done in his career and we we we look at our team, you know, for first and foremost. We’re not looking at what the US are doing. Um I I really do hope that the captain has a little bit of an influence. Um you know, we spend a lot of time Keegan’s been through it now himself. He understands the the hours and the preparation that goes into being a captain. looking at all the little details about how you can try and find little edges and be get the guys prepared. You know, ultimately it’s my job to get those guys in the right frame of mind performing at the highest level that they can they can perform on the golf course. Um, you know, if things don’t go wrong, if things go wrong, then yeah, uh, there’ll be lots of questions aimed at me and and that’s the responsibility you take as a captain. But um you know again you hope that uh with the preparation uh it will hopefully help your team uh give them a better opportunity. If I could just just a quick follow. Do you each of you feel that in your own ways that you can you can beat some slight difference maker for each of your teams this week with the things you do and how you do them? Yeah, I hope so. I hope that uh you know our my main goal is to put these players in their best position to play well and you know when you do that you know the the guys can go out and perform at their at their highest level. So you know but ultimately the players are going to decide the RDER Cup but I definitely think the captain and the vice captains you know their main goal here their main job is to put the players in the best position to to play at their best. And every day that we go out, whether it’s Friday of the tournament or a practice round like today, we want to make sure the guys are in the right state of mind, uh, with the right mindset of what we want to do during the week and and get them prepared to be ready to go on Friday morning. Yeah, I mean, again, reiterate what I said. I think just like in other sports, you know, coaches, they they have an impact on the game, right? They should the way they put their their players out, um, you know, the pairings, the whatever it might be. Um there’s so much preparation that goes into this um that you hope as a captain you have some kind of influence on the end results. Go next right here to Mike 3 followed by Mike 20. Oh, hi. Thank you. Um Keegan, could I ask a question about your path in golf in general? I’m from the Boston Globe. So, I kind of wanted to ask you to reflect on when you think about what shaped you that time in Massachusetts, how that was different maybe from the paths you saw other guys take to the pros and kind of just how maybe that shaped you a bit. Yeah, I mean, not a lot of players from New England on the PGA Tour, but uh you know, I think the people of New England and the Northeast have a have a grit mindset to them. And you know, I had such a finite time to practice golf. I grew up in Vermont. We had like really severe winners and then Boston was actually like going south. I could play hit some shots later in the year. But um I had this very specific I had to capitalize on this time to hit balls, get ready to play, prepare to, you know, someday do this. So, you know, when I as I got older and I was able to play year round, I still have that mentality. I still have that mentality today of I can’t waste a second of this day. And I think when you grow up in New England and and you know, whether you’re trying to be a golfer or work, you know, you want to get your job done. You want to be the best you can at your job. And um I carry around the Northeast in New England with me everywhere I go. Uh that’s that’s my identity. And um I love that uh that I grew up there. I love that, you know, I’m I’m a little bit different than the than the guys out here. And there’s nothing I’m more proud of than representing that part of the world. Okay. Good afternoon. question for uh Keegan please about the US team getting paid for the first time this this year just over here can you just explain to us why you’ve decided to give all your money to charity and just to clarify are all your team going to follow your example have you got a unified approach to this well the PG of America came to me they wanted to uh bring the the RDER Cup into the present day the charity dollars hadn’t changed since 1999 and they asked me to sort shepherd their their way into making it into 2025. Um, you know, I I I think for everyone it’s a personal decision. You know, a lot of guys aren’t comfortable sharing their what they’re going to do with their money, but we’re we’re going to donate and um you know, for for us, the PG of America, this happens after the Ryder Cup, so this is something that we’ll worry about after. But um you know, ultimately PG of America asked me to help out with this and this is the best way we came up to do it. Just to clarify, why why are you giving your money all of your money? Why are you giving your stipend as well as the charity donation? Um, I think that’s a personal decision. Uh, I don’t feel I don’t donate to charities to publicize what we’re doing. Um, these guys on our team are incredible people and they do a lot of incredible things with with charity dollars and with their foundations and a lot of them aren’t comfortable sharing that sort of information and and I feel the same way. Go next to Mike Nine followed by 11 and 14. This is for both of you guys. Um, you talk the uniqueness of you guys living so close to each other and you talk about being friends. So, how much do you see each other whether it’s at a Thousand North or a Bears Club and how does that play into this that kind of that’s it’s a very unique situation? Yeah, as I said, I’ve known Keegan what 12 13 years now. Um, you know, we’re we’re we’re someone’s that we would play practice rounds together on on the road. We would have dinners together. We had mutual friends. Um, you know, again, Keegan is someone that I’ve rooted for. You know, if he did well in a tournament, won a tournament, I would text him. And likewise back, you know, I think, uh, we definitely have a good strong friendship. Um, and I think there’s a mutual respect there. We we understand uh both being in the arena we understand exactly the difficulties of professional golf and we we celebrate our victories together I think and um you know it’s nice to have a captain your your captain opposite you someone that you know and respect a lot and um you know I think we’re also very very competitive and you know that’s not going to change this week I we’ll have a drink on Sunday night no matter what the result but you know this week is about trying to get our teams to win and we want to win and um I think we you know are very similar in that in in that personality. I think the captaincy for me just like it has been for Kean Keegan has been quite enlightening and and helpful. I think we’re both somewhat introverts in a way and it’s kind of taught us to go more out of our um comfort zones and so you know I see a lot of similarities between us um but there’s a definitely a deep respect amongst us. Yeah, for me there’s not many people I like more in the golf world than Luke Donald. uh you know I I came out on tour in 2011 and he was number one in the world and uh he was the first real quote unquote top player to treat me with the respect that um that I I couldn’t believe. Um I got to go out and play with with Luke Donald who’s the best player in the world. He played with all of my buddies that I went to St. John’s with. Um I loved hanging out and having a drink with Luke Donald. But like he said, we’re we want to go out there and win. Um, we want to go out there and and put our teams in the best position to to do well. Uh, but you know, ultimately like we we chatted I I I wanted to be the first one to tell Luke that I was the Ryder Cup captain here out of respect to him because we we talk a lot about the RDER Cup, you know, throughout our lives. And um, you know, I really feel lucky to have Luke on the opposite side because we send each other texts, we joke around, and but we know once once the competition comes, we want to win. And like Luke said, come Sunday night, we’re gonna I can’t wait to c to have a drink with Luke Donald and um sit down and try to enjoy this even more. Michael 11. Keegan, just following on from Neil’s question there about uh about about the payment for your team. What do you say to those who take that as evidence that it means more to Europe? Well, I’m not concerned about uh what Europe does or what they think. I I’m I’m more I’m concerned about what my team’s doing. And you know, I was tasked with the job the PJ America asked me to do and uh you know, this was what we decided and you know, we wanted to bring the RDER Cup into today’s age and we we felt like this was the best way to do it. We we copied a lot about what the President’s Cup does and um you know, we we did the best we could and I think a lot of good is going to come from this. I think that the players are going to do a lot of good with this money and um I think it’s great. I mean obviously you you rightly recognize that the players are able to do a lot of good with it but I think the optics of it are questionable given the finances already involved in golf. Do you have any do you have any regret about that aspect at all? Um, I I don’t really get uh that, but I I think, you know, the the goal here was the the charity dollars hadn’t been raised in 25 26 years, and that’s what we started out doing. And uh we again, we we did a lot of what the President’s Cup did. And these players are going to do the right thing and do a lot of really good with this money. I mean, you can uh say that, but I think that the players are really good people and are going to do a lot of good things. Bob and then Doug, please. Uh Keegan back here. Um obviously it’s been a while now since you came to terms with that the decision you made to not play. Just wondering if as you got here over the weekend or even today in practice, if there’s just any tinge of wonder what it might have been like if you were and and what what those emotions were like. Definitely. I I’ve thought about it every second. Um, but I’ve also thought about how impossible it would be. Uh, you know, I I like I said earlier, I was picked to do this job as captain and there’s been certain things that I’ve done during the week or lead up that if I was playing, I don’t think I could have done at the level that I needed to do them at. And you know, I catch myself every now and then looking down the fairway, seeing the guys walk down the fairway and think how badly I’d want to do that and how badly I’d want to be in that group with Scotty Sheffller and and and seeing him play and and being his teammate. Uh but I feel like I’ve been called for a bigger cause here to to help our help our guys get ready to play and play at the highest level. Um, but in the back of my mind it’s I’m always thinking that I could have been out there, but um, ultimately I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed being the captain and you know how I’ve enjoyed not having to worry about getting to sleep and and getting my rest or how I haven’t had to thought think about what time I’m going to go practice or meet my coach and then meet the guys. So, it simplified things a lot for me. Doug, one for each if I could. Um, Luke, do you feel Sorry, do you feel this is a better team than you than than you had at Marco Simone? It’s a very similar team. Um, which is unusual. Never happened in the history of our Rder Cup teams in Europe to to have 11 come back. So, we have a lot of cohesion. Um, you know, and I think part of a captain’s job is to try and form the team is to try and get these guys together and um and and kind of bonding and and and being being a team. And I certainly haven’t had to work that hard with these guys because of what we did two years ago. Uh even Raasmus, you know, was on the buggy for Nikolai and and and spend time there. So, um I think statistically there are some guys that are a lot better players than they were in Rome. Um, and I’m sure the US are very strong, too. I mean, you just look at the talent the US have. They have the best player in the world. Um, he’s doing incredible things. They have a bunch of superstars as well. But we understand that it’s going to be a big challenge. Um, but I am very excited about my team. Um, where we are, the form we have coming into this, and um, I’m excited about, uh, getting going on Friday. was looking for a yes or no, but that works. And and Keegan for you. Um what was the purpose of of uh the gathering kind of you had on the first te this morning? Well, you know, I think it’s uh anytime that guys can be together and I think it’s really powerful to be on that first tea without the crowds and just be you guys. Um you know, every second that the guys are together can have a powerful moment. I think it brings them closer together. And you know, that was that was a really fun time to be out there with those guys and share that moment and hear the national anthem. Um, I really think that, you know, I I had this vision of doing that for about a year and um to be out there and see it and see how how emotional the guys got. Um, it was really a special time for our team. In front with Ann. Uh, two years ago we had Novak Jovovich came to our team. Um, you know, again, I’m not going to share who we have or who we might not have coming to the team, but again, my job is to one, obviously get the guys ready, but create an experience for them that they’ll never forget. Um, you know, we want to create a week where they have the most fun um on and off the golf course. So, we work very hard, myself, my wife, on creating a week where, you know, they’re going to remember this no matter what. These are great experiences to be a part of the RDER Cup. Sometimes, you know, if you might only get one chance at this, sometimes you might have eight or nine chances, but everyone is very special for them. And um we again we try and do a lot of things during the week that um has a lot of meaning, has a lot of value. Um and we love to you know again make this one of the best weeks of their lives. We’ll go up top here for a couple. Martin then James. Luke, your players are wearing salmon pink today which I believe represents a win on US soil in 87 and that’s going to be a theme over the next few days. Can you talk about the importance of that message to your players? Yeah, I think um it it’s always important to rally around something. Um you know, we always have things that we come up with um that are important to us and and history and our unity and celebrating what we’ve done in the past and the legends that have kind of come before us is is really important. So yeah, I wanted to focus on that. Yes, this is going to be a difficult challenge. We haven’t come close to winning three out of the last four way Ryder Cups. It’s not been very close at all. That’s my job to bridge that gap. Um but we have won quite a few times. We’ve won four times away since 1987 and um you know come close a few other times as well. But no, I think that’s motivating to the guys that it can be done. um it has been done and um you know again we’re we’re here to try and do it again. Keegan up here when you brought the guys out to the first te I’m just wondering uh whose reaction were you most surprised by? Uh well I wasn’t really surpris it it was a powerful moment. um you know, you you looking around and seeing all the guys that, you know, staring at what we were doing and and so into it in in such an emotional way. Um a lot of people have worked really hard to get to that point to this point in their lives. Um you know, like like Luke said, you never know when your last RDER Cup is. You never know if you’re going to play one or 10 or whatever. And you know, for a lot of guys, whether it was the players, the caddies, the coaches, to to be on that first tee in New York City at Beth Paige Black, uh, at a Ryder Cup is a very powerful moment. And, you know, sometimes in your life and in your career, you have to take stock in in what’s happening around you. I I think one of my biggest regrets early in my career wasn’t enjoying things more. And, you know, for for that moment out this morning, guys were really taking that in and enjoying it, and that was a beautiful thing. Microphone 13, please. Hey, Luke over here. What is the single greatest piece of advice that you could give Keegan going into this having done this before? Um, that’s a tough one to give advice to someone you’re trying to beat this week. Um, it really is, but I think he nailed it on the head. you know, you have to enjoy these moments that being a captain is is not easy. There’s there’s a lot of buildup. There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s more than just turning up this week and having your players and coming up with some pairings. There’s a lot of intricacies to this and um you can get engulfed and a little bit swallowed up sometimes in the little details. And I think, you know, all I would say is, you know, both of us, we need to embrace it, enjoy it. Um because these are opportunities you don’t get very often. I I was extremely fortunate to get this two years ago and to have a chance to do it twice is incredible and um it’s certainly something I don’t do not ever take for granted. So I would just say enjoy this week, Keegan. Great. It looks like that’s it for questions. So captains, thank you for your time today. We appreciate it. Thank you.