The American captain watched his side fall 15–13 on Sunday after a spirited singles fightback came up just short. Europe entered the final day leading 11½–4½, but early victories for Cameron Young and Justin Thomas, along with Bryson DeChambeau’s remarkable comeback to earn half a point and Scottie Scheffler’s win over Rory McIlroy, briefly gave the U.S. hope.
Ludvig Åberg and Shane Lowry steadied things for Europe before Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre sealed the final points to secure Luke Donald’s side a 15–13 victory.
A crucial factor came when Viktor Hovland withdrew with a neck injury, triggering the seldom-used envelope rule. As a result, Harris English was forced to sit out the singles, with both teams splitting the point.
Bradley was left frustrated. “The rule has to change,” he told reporters. “It’s obvious to everybody in the sports world. Nothing against Viktor, but that rule needs to be changed by the next Ryder Cup.”
English also voiced his disappointment, while Donald reminded Bradley that Team USA had benefited from the same rule in the past.
Despite the frustration, Bradley took full accountability for the loss. He praised Donald’s leadership, even hailing him as Europe’s greatest captain. “He’s an incredible leader,” Bradley said. “He turned this European team into an unstoppable force. In my eyes, he’s the best European Ryder Cup captain ever.”
Reflecting on his own captaincy, Bradley admitted to some missteps with course setup and strategy but refused to blame conditions or external factors. “I’ve got to take responsibility for this outcome,” he said. “I definitely made a few mistakes, and I wish I could have some of those decisions back.”
With the inquest already underway, Bradley now faces questions about how the U.S., so dominant at Whistling Straits in 2021, have fallen to back-to-back defeats against Europe.
