Keegan Bradley Sends 11-Word Message to Team USA Ahead of Walker Cup Finale

At Cypress Point, the battle from dusk to dawn was a great one. There was bright sunshine, brilliant golf, and very respectful fans. When the day ended, the USA took a 6.5 to 5.5 lead over Great Britain & Ireland in the 50th Walker Cup. Seeing this, Ryder Cup skipper Keegan Bradley couldn’t contain his praise.

“What a great session for the fellas!! Let’s get it tomorrow @WalkerCup,” Bradley posted on X late on Saturday. The message from the man leading America’s Ryder Cup charge wasn’t just a nod, but a rallying cry, for the team to win the Walker Cup title for the fifth consecutive time. The Americans have won the last four editions of the Walker Cup, including their 2023 triumph at the Old Course in St. Andrews, and have long dominated the series since it began in 1924. GB&I’s last victory came a decade ago, in 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes, but it’s been over two decades since they managed to win on American soil.

The last time they defeated Team USA in the biennial event was in 2001, when it was hosted at the Ocean Forest in Georgia. With that streak hanging in the balance for the Americans, Bradley’s message felt less like a friendly shoutout and more like a spark to keep the fire burning. His message is setting the tone, not just for the amateurs chasing the Walker Cup, but for the players preparing for one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Keegan Bradley, who was named Ryder Cup captain in July last year, will be leading the U.S. squad into battle at Bethpage Black from September 26–28, with hopes of reclaiming the Cup after a painful defeat in Rome in 2023. His leadership style is already showing as ten of the twelve Ryder Cup team members will be gathering next week in Napa Valley for the Procore Championship, using the event as a prep week ahead of the battle that awaits on Long Island.

This is an unusual sight in Napa Valley, as the Procore Championship is the first season of the PGA Tour’s fall season and usually doesn’t see players from the top 50 of the FedEx Cup rankings.

While Bradley’s Ryder Cup team readies for redemption, all eyes are on Cypress Point on Sunday, as GB&I eyes redemption, especially after Rory McIlroy’s words of encouragement.

Rory McIlroy sends Keegan Bradley a strong message via support to Team GB&I

Team GB&I came out swinging on Saturday morning, winning three of the four alternate-shot matches and briefly renewing hopes of a rare victory on U.S. soil, something they haven’t achieved in 24 years. But despite strong performances from Connor Graham and Stuart Grehan, the momentum slipped in the afternoon as the Americans stormed back in singles to snatch a narrow lead heading into Sunday.

But the tension and the rivalry weren’t lost on Team GB&I yet, especially after a surprise message lit up a team room in California the night before the matches began. It wasn’t just any message. It was a full video from none other than Rory McIlroy, Europe’s Ryder Cup star, who spoke from experience, and with unmistakable fire.  “As someone who played a Walker Cup and wasn’t able to quite get it done, and then to go on to play Ryder Cups and be able to beat the Yanks in their own backyard, nothing feels better,” McIlroy said.

Rory McIlroy, who played in the 2007 Walker Cup as an 18-year-old phenom at Royal County Down, knows the pain of coming up short when the Americans edged out a 12–11 win. And in the video, he made it clear just how sweet revenge can be.

And then came the kicker, where McIlroy took a direct shot at Team USA and probably a warning to Bradley too — “Please beat them because I know we’re going to beat them at Bethpage.” The message was loud and clear to the young amateurs, no doubt, but it was also a clear indication that Team Europe is fired up to claim victory at the 2025 Ryder Cup.