Keegan Bradley’s first speech at Bethpage Black as Ryder Cup captain hit most of the right notes.
He introduced his team with pride and a little humor (thanks to “New Jersey native” Scottie Scheffler). He played into his St. Johns roots — the “grit and grime” of Queens, anyone? He even delivered a handful of lines straight from the heart, admitting that captaining the Ryder Cup was an experience he never dreamed far enough to achieve.
But there was one moment that raised the eyebrows of nearly everyone involved — one line that elicited more than a handful of chuckles from the Ryder Cup stage and in the crowd. The moment in question, as roughly paraphrased from a speech-viewer?
“I still remember when I first fell in love with the Ryder Cup, as a 13-year-old boy on my dad’s shoulders back in 1999 at Brookline,” Bradley said. “I’ll never forget the moment of watching Justin Rose’s winning putt on the 17th hole on Sunday, and everything that represented.”
It was a touching anecdote, and a story that helped contextualize Bradley’s love and passion for the week’s event. But there was one tiny detail missing: Bradley had gotten the wrong Justin.
Of course, Bradley had meant to mention Justin Leonard, who’s 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole at Brookline dispatched Jose Maria Olazabal and gave the Americans an unthinkable comeback victory.
The only problem? He’d said Justin Rose’s name, referencing the competitor at this week’s Ryder Cup for the rival European side.
Bradley’s gaffe was a minor one, to be certain, but it caught the attention of the Euro side, who could not contain their laughter as Bradley continued his speech.
All told, the moment was but a minor footnote on an otherwise successful captain debut for Capt. Keegan at Bethpage Black. His speech contrasted notably against that of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who delivered a handful of heavy-handed lines about the virtue of Team Europe’s decision to play for free at this year’s Ryder Cup.
In the end, Bradley will be remembered for far more as U.S. captain than his Justin-mismatch on Wednesday afternoon. The Cup begins on Friday afternoon, and we’ll learn at 4 p.m. on Thursday if any Justins (Thomas for the Americans, Rose for the Euros) are part of the proceedings. You can bet Bradley will have the proper name then.
