The roar of the crowd on American soil had long faded. But for Keegan Bradley, the silence that followed the Ryder Cup loss was deafening. Standing on the grounds of Bethpage Black, the American captain had poured everything into the battle. But once again, he had to stand and watch Europe claim the victory once again. For the 36-year-old captain, this wasn’t just a match. Long after the event, the heartbreaking loss gnawed at his thoughts.

The Ryder Cup has always been a test of legacy and pride. But this time, the legacy felt heavy for Bradley. Dealing with the loss, just days after the 2025 Ryder Cup, he stated, “You win, it’s glory for a lifetime. You lose, it’s ‘I’m going to have to sit with this for the rest of my life’”. But amid the weight of regret, weeks after the event, Bradley’s young countrymate, Collin Morikawa, has stepped in with quiet support. 

Morikawa recently sat for a candid conversation with the team of Fore Play Podcast Plus. Talking about their unfinished story at the Bethpage Black, Morikawa stated, “I mean, being one and two, it sucks because you have to live with it for two years. It’s the best event you can be a part of. I don’t think people understand, like nothing is taken lightly. Not one bit of what we do that week and the buildup to it is a joke. I know, especially after losing the last two, they mean so much, and you just want to play for so much.”

Sharing how the loss stung them, Collin said, “It sucks, for how competitive all of us are, it burns.” But also stepping back to reality, he added, “It’s weird ’cause like it matters so much then and then you realize, like now that you look back a month later, it’s okay, it’s not the end of the world. It does suck.” Sharing words of support for the captain, Morikawa said, “And I know Keegan’s (Bradley) going through it and I feel for him because like we will ride or die next to that guy. That guy put everything into it. So it sucks, but got to move on and hope for two more years.”

Throwing light on the legacy and value the event carries, Morikawa added, “I mean I’ve played in Ryder Cups, President’s Cups and Olympics. They are all up there. I love our country. I love representing the red, white, and blue. And you do everything you can to just help out, right? Whether you have a bad day or a good day, you just want to help.” Post the match, Bradley stated, “There’s no part of me that thinks I’ll ever get over this.” But despite the emotional pain that a loss in that event might inflict, the athletes have to overcome the feeling of failure and aim for their next success.

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Keegan Bradley’s faith in Collin Morikawa shines despite Ryder Cup loss

Keegan Bradley’s relationship with Morikawa runs pretty deep. While the US failed to secure victory in this year’s Ryder Cup, things got pretty much ugly right from the start. Barring the fans ‘ abusive chants towards Rory McIlroy and others, the likes of Morikawa and the team faltered since Day 1. Starting off, Team USA lost both the foursomes and fourball sessions. Trailing by three points at the end of Day 1, the American hopes seemed lost. 

Especially after Morikawa and Harris English suffered a 5&4 defeat against McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. Interestingly, despite the setback, while speaking on the matter in September 2025, Bradley exuded confidence in his choices. While reasserting that the camp was not in a panic situation, he stated, “Well, we have a plan of what we’re going to do. They beat us today, but we’re really comfortable with our plan. We’re confident in those two players and excited to see who they’re playing tomorrow. It will be an exciting match, and we’re sticking to our plan.” 

Surely, such confidence boosted Morikawa’s confidence significantly. Even though the US lost, the likes of Morikawa and Co. got some very important exposure. Taking heart from how strongly Bradley supported them, the US golfers will surely look to come back stronger and repay the faith vested in them. In fact, looking at the Americans’ recent record, the US is unbeaten at home since 2012. But when it comes to the Ryder Cup, they have lost five of the last seven editions.