Keegan Bradley: ‘Darkest Time of My Life’ — Raw Ryder Cup Confession Shocks Media Room

Keegan Bradley delivers one of the most emotional interviews of his career, calling the weeks after the Ryder Cup “the darkest time of my life.” Bradley opens up about the emotional toll of the loss, his desire for another chance as captain, and how competing again — including his Skins Game victory — has h

All right, like to welcome Keegan Bradley to the interview room here at the Hero World Challenge. Keegan, your first start on tour since the Tour Championship. You were uh in some competitive action last week at the Skins game. Could you maybe just kind of talk us through uh what that experience was was like out there? Oh, it was spectacular. I you know, like you said, I haven’t played tournament in two months, so it was good to get some competitive juices going for this week. Uh but what a great what a fun time. I grew up watching the Skins game. To be a part of it was really really special. And then obviously playing in this event, you’ve had plenty of experience here at here at Albnour. What does it mean just having having Tiger around as the tournament host and um just his you know his fingerprints all over the place? Well, for us players, it’s it’s really really like special to play here because it means you’ve played really well for at least a year, maybe even two. Um, I went years without being in this tournament and I really I really feel a sense of accomplishment just playing in this tournament because it’s it means a lot to all of us to be here. It’s one of the toughest tournaments to get into in the world and uh it’s always really fun to bring the family here and have a great time. All right, questions. You have a question, raise your hand. We will get a microphone over to you. Keegan, congratulations on your skins victory. Um, I I do want to address what’s been talked about over the last few weeks, and that is what seems to be imminent changes to the PGA tour with its schedule seems to be more streamlined. Tiger chairing the future competition committee. What are you hearing and what are your reactions to those rumors or thoughts? Well, it just seemed it I’ve heard a bunch of stuff. I don’t know anything. Um, I’ll learn more tonight. I think uh I think that the tour is having to constantly evolve into into what the golf world is is becoming. And um I really love the fact that we’re not waiting like this isn’t like we’re changing in three years or four years. It’s like no, we’re doing this next year. And I think Brian has a really clear vision of what we’re going to do. I wish I could have more details. I don’t know what it is. Um I have a general idea. Uh, but I really I really think it’s great that we’re like acting like right away instead of this is what we’re thinking down the road. I think Brian’s trying to make changes right away. Um, and he’s definitely got a great vision to make the tour as best as it could be. Um, it seems like the purpose is to benefit the fans and maybe the economics of the tour as well, but how do you balance that and also pleasing the membership, especially I guess the middle class of the membership? Let me think about that. Um, you know, again, I’m not in on these conversations with the with the with the tour and stuff, but I think it’s I think it’s a really, you know, in the history of sport, what’s gone on in golf and how these decisions have to be made like right away on the fly is really difficult because you’re you’re going to you’re you’re not going to please everybody. Um, again, I don’t know what these changes are, so maybe it does please everybody, but I mean, generally, um, you know, you’re going to upset some people and, um, but, you know, come for all that I can gather is you need to play really well like and and and I really got that sense um, you know, when Liv first started and we were we had that meeting in BMW, uh, however long that will go and I remember coming to my coach like, we need to like get this in gear because, you know, there’s there’s changes coming and you need to be play really well out here to to play at the highest level. And um I think that that’s great. I think that’s what sports are all about. If you could give yourself a letter grade for this season, uh what would you give yourself? Uh well, it’s a complicated question because I am really proud of the way I played. uh I think in a lot of ways is the my best year of my career. Uh my rookie year I won twice with the major. So that’s going to be tough to beat, but uh with everything that was going on um I I really proud of the way that I played, but when you factor in losing the RDER Cup, I I mean it’s an F. I I I you know, without uh you know, you win you got to go and win that and this grade’s different, but it’s really tough to grade. And I was talking to my coach and he goes, “You remember you won this year?” And I was like, “No, I don’t remember that at all.” Uh, but you know, it was a, you know, unique year. I think a year that no really no other player has ever experienced. And, um, I’m proud of the way I played certainly, but, um, the end of the year was def difficult. And a little bit of a change up. Patriots played, they won again. Um, are how does it feel just riding the vibes of a new Pats organization that’s just continues to do it? It’s happening all over again. I see it. I’m watching it. I remember as a kid watching Brady and Bellich and now we got May and Vrabel. Uh, what a fun what a fun time to be a Patriots fan. I I can’t say enough about Mike Vrabel and u Drake May. It’s just it’s so fun. My my boys are both Patriot fans and they were growing up a much different life than I had watching the Patriots and to be able to go and sit down with them. I I always say sports are important because of the moments that you have that I get to have with my boys uh watching the Patriots and have them win and be dominant like this is just awesome. Adam Keegan, I don’t know if you saw some headlines yesterday or this morning, but uh Justin Thomas made some comments about um the RDER Cup grounds crew being in there being some arguments with them about the green speeds. What What do you What can you share on that? Uh well, I do know that once the tournament starts on or uh the Sunday before the RDER Cup, we lose control of the golf course, the the the home team. Um so you know they they they were given specifications of where to keep the greens. Um and you know they felt that they had that they had done that. Um it it did it they did a great job. It’s so difficult to to figure out, you know, there’s so much going on and you want the Greens at a certain speed and they’re telling you that they are and you know, you got to take their word out for it. But the Greens are so flat that it’s difficult, I think, to get the pace that that we’re looking for. But the course was in great shape and you know, the Europeans, they just played so great. Uh, you know, it’s it’s I wish that we could blame somebody, but we can’t. We have to blame me. I mean, I blame myself for for for that loss and um be nice to blame that, but we we can’t. Tiger in his press conference, if anyone if uh he’s interested in the job, and he said no one’s asked him yet. Can you can you ask him for us if he’d do it? I think when Tiger wants to do this, he’s going to do it. Um, Tiger is not only a hero to all of us that would be on his team, but he’s also, you know, an incredible leader and a person that everyone would love to play for. Um, but I I’m pretty sure when he wants to to do this, he’s going to going to be able to do it. G given, you know, some time away from it, are you still interested? Would you like to have another shot? Well, it’s really it’s really a I just said this earlier in an interview. I have this like gaping hole in my career now that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fill. It’s this isn’t something where, you know, you lose the Masters or you lose tournament, you’re like, I’m going to work extra hard to get back and win. Uh the being the captain of the Rder Cup team is not something you can work hard for. This is something that is sort of, you know, elected on you. And um I I don’t know. Of course, I would love to do it again. I’d love to avenge that loss, but that’s not up to me. Um, that’s not up to I I I don’t I don’t think that’s fair for me to come out here and say that, but I I I would love to do it again at some point. I don’t know if that’ll ever happen. Probably won’t, but I think a lot of I think if you ask any losing captain if they’d like to do it again, they would all want another shot. One more. Keegan, uh, you’re an emotional person, player. That’s what makes you you. Um, and you just talked about the gaping hole. You gave yourself an F and you’ve talked about the disappointment of losing as captain. How much of an emotional toll can you verbalize did that take on you the weeks after the RDER Cup? Um, I mean the darkest time of my life probably. I mean, I don’t know how else to describe it. Certainly definitely of my career. Uh but there there’s always this let down after a Ryder Cup or President’s Cup regardless of the outcome because you’re you’re the emotions are so extreme and they call it’s Ryder Cup hangover and and you’re just exhausted and you and you’re down and and you know it’s it’s that takes a toll on you. But there’s just it just was um it just was a tough time. Still is. Uh, but you know, to be honest with you, the last couple weeks I’ve felt more like myself getting back getting back getting ready to play tournaments, playing the Skins game, getting ready to come play here. Uh, but it really it’s been tough uh, you know, for for all of us, you know, not just me, the players as well. And, um, I feel like every time I see a player on the team here, I want to just go give him a hug and, you know, sit down and chat. But I I I’m grateful for everybody and um you know I am in a unique position where I could make another team which has never been done and I I would love to do that. Thanks for the time this week.