JULIUS MASON: Firstly welcome to New York, and congratulations on leading the 2023 European Team to victory in Rome last year, and congratulations on being named back-to-back captain, something we haven't seen on the European side since the early 1990s; right?
LUKE DONALD: That's correct. And it's great to be here in New York. Just an amazing city, amazing energy, and to have this opportunity to be captain again for Europe is really special.
It's really a great honor, a blessing. I've said it many times that that moment when we won in Rome was the best and the highlight of my career, and to hear those 12 guys shout two more years was certainly, for me, a personal moment of joy and honor that they would want me to come back and represent them again as captain.
So I'm very excited about the opportunity to be here in New York, and I can't wait for it to all kickoff in just under a year's time.
JULIUS MASON: Keegan, you've had a very eventful last three months being named U.S. captain in July, followed by a victory at the BMW Championship in Colorado in August, and then you secured the winning point for the United States Team at the Presidents Cup just a little over a week ago in September.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it's been a crazy couple months. My life is consumed with golf, and sometimes when things happen in my life, I'm shocked. You know, the past three months have been some of the craziest, most exciting, most nerve-wracking months of my entire life.
But I have to pinch myself, a lot, and you know, this stretch of my life has been really incredible. It's an honor of a lifetime for me to lead this U.S. Team here at Bethpage Black. It was a dream to play in another Presidents Cup, another team event, and to win the point made it even more special.
But you know, this is a dream come true for me. I love Bethpage. I love New York, and like I said, it's an honor of a lifetime.
JULIUS MASON: Thank you.
Luke, your team's qualification process began at The Belfry last month and it's a little different from previous years; correct?
LUKE DONALD: It's slightly different. Same six automatic qualifiers. We've streamlined that into one list now, instead of two that it was previously. I think it makes it a little more simpler for fans and the viewers to understand.
We made a few changes just because of the changing landscape in golf, and we wanted to create something that we thought would give us the strongest six, and then we have obviously six picks like we did last time to round out our team.
I think it's a great qualification system, again, to give us the best and strongest field we possibly can get for this Ryder Cup.
JULIUS MASON: Your qualification system will look very similar to what the U.S. teams have been in the past. I know you've been contemplating a number of captain's picks for some time. Any news you'd like to share?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I think we'll keep it the same. I think the points system does a great job in identifying the 12 best players. We play our Elevated Events and majors carry so much weight, and I think that's important with how strong the fields are, you know, week-to-week, the pressure of playing in these big tournaments and majors, and that shows up on the points list.
JULIUS MASON: Luke, you have won all four Cups that you have played in, including the last time the Europeans won in the United States in 2012 at Medinah Country Club.
Everyone knows how complicated and how difficult it is to win an away Ryder Cup. How familiar are you with Bethpage, and do you think it's going to feel a little different than in Chicago?
LUKE DONALD: I'm relatively familiar with Bethpage. I played my first U.S. Open here back in 2002. I played in 2009. I played some other events here at Bethpage. It's a great course, a State park in the middle of Long Island in the New York area. It's an amazing place that's open to the public, just a very special place, to have something like that host major championships, it's very special.
It's a big golf course. It's a tough golf course, and it's going to be a great venue for this year's Ryder Cup.
But yeah, New York, I grew up -- I didn't grow up. I grew up in England, but spent a lot of time in Chicago where we played in Medinah. New York has a similar feel to even more of a degree. Both great sports cities. Just a lot of energy and certainly they are going to bring that to this Ryder Cup in Bethpage.
JULIUS MASON: Keegan, Bethpage back is a golf course you're tremendously familiar with. You've mentioned that it's America's course. What exactly did you mean by that?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: What makes Bethpage so special is we play public golf courses on the Tour but so often, you know, it's thousands of dollars to play the course. But here at Bethpage, if you're a local, it's very affordable to play.
You ask any New Yorker, they are so proud of Bethpage Black. This is their course. We have incredible courses in the area, Winged Foot, Shinnecock, but the real New Yorkers, they talk about Bethpage. They all have a story of playing with their dad, with waiting in line in their car and going out and playing Bethpage Black, and that's an extremely important thing for our team.
We love Bethpage Black. We know how important it is to New Yorkers and we are going to go out there and love every second of it.
JULIUS MASON: Let's open up the floor and the Zoom line for questions for the media.
Q. Keegan, how much of an education for you in captaining was the Presidents Cup with Furyk and the group there and as a follow, where do you stand on trying to make the team as a player?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: So it was really important for me to be around the time. First it was going to be a vice captain, and then obviously I played, and I wasn't in that vice captain role.
So it was important for me to remember the nerves of these tournaments. You know, it was important to remember the preparation that goes into it, and I was able to really watch what Jim and the vice captains did, creating an atmosphere for us to succeed and to do well and be prepared and know who you're playing with and have a real plan.
As for me to play, it's always a goal of mine to play on the Ryder Cup teams. It's so far off now that it's really -- I'm not going to worry about it.
Once we get closer to the tournament and I'm up there on the points list, then we'll start to think about it. But I'm focused now on being the captain of the team and that's it.
Q. Medinah didn't turn out for you, but it started really well. What can you take from your pairing with Phil in terms of you went in with kind of rookie pressure and you turned it into magic. How can you use that experience to guide your rookies and also to kind of set up your pairings to try to recreate that chemistry?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: So I played Luke a couple times at Medinah.
Do you remember?
LUKE DONALD: Thanks for reminding me (laughter).
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I really, early in my career, I really took for granted Phil's leadership that he gave me and what he -- you know, I was playing with one of the best players to ever touch a golf club. In alternate-shot, he just said, "We're going to play your ball." You know, things that I took for granted over the years, knowing who I'm going to play with in every Cup that I play on.
What Phil did for me is he created a relaxed atmosphere, and he told me, "Don't worry about putting it four or five feet by. I'll make them coming back." Little stuff like that, really, it helped me.
He mentored me before the event. Took me to dinner. Talked to me nonstop throughout the year about the pressures and what's going to come and I really learned a lot, and it hasn't been until now that I've really realized what an incredible thing it was that he did for me.
So it's important that I communicate to the veterans of the team to do that for these rookies and for these younger players on our team.
Q. Luke, you're captaining as a return. What's the most important thing that you've learned this time as captain now that you'll be on different soil than what you did the last time? Is there anything? And I have a follow-up to Keegan.
LUKE DONALD: Obviously it was a very successful campaign. We were successful in Rome and there was a lot of things that I did that I think will continue over into this captaincy.
Of course, there's some changes. You know, it's one of the hardest things to do is to win an away Ryder Cup, and I'm going to have to adapt a little bit. Some of the advantages I had with home crowd support, I've lost that advantage. Setting up the golf course, I've lost that advantage.
It's about coming up with different ways to try and counter act some of those disadvantages and trying to turn them into something positive.
Again, there was a lot of learnings from that Ryder Cup in Rome that we will take to New York, but there's some differences, too, that we're going to have to implement to give our team any kind of a chance.
Q. How do you see the golf course being set up, without divulging too many secrets now, but how do you see the golf course being set up, given what you've seen from U.S. Opens and PGA championships having been played at the Black?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: The Black is -- when you go play the Black, you know it's going to be a tough test. That's just Bethpage. Big holes. A lot of drivers. I expect it to play tough like it always does.
What's great about Bethpage is the arena that we're going to be playing in. So you know, the holes, especially on back and just the atmosphere Bethpage creates a real environment.
So I think it's going to be exciting no matter how the course setup is, but I anticipate Bethpage playing tough like it always does.
Q. I know you said it's a long ways away but what would be the challenges of trying to play and captain if that were to happen next year?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, you know, just getting the pairings in after the session, managing, preparing to play with preparing the guys and preparing -- getting the pairings ready. I think it would be a really difficult job.
But I made a promise to myself that I'm not going to worry about this until the time comes if I do. It's really difficult to make the American Team every year; you have to go out and really perform.
Like I said, right now, my focus is on being a captain but I'm still a full-time player. I'm still playing in all the majors and all the big events next year. So I have a real shot at doing this.
For now, I'm focusing on my guys and getting them ready to go.
Q. Obviously the environment at Bethpage Black, we can anticipate that it's going to be very energetic, very lively with the New York fans. Will that impact how you captain the team in any way, or even how you make your captain's picks?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: It's definitely going to be an intense environment for both teams. New York is an incredible place to play but they expect you to win and win your matches, win your game, win your whatever. We know we have to go out there and perform for the fans to be behind us.
But we're looking forward to the challenge is of what it is to play a Ryder Cup at Bethpage, the fun it's going to be, the loud cheers, the excitement.
I definitely think the Ryder Cup, in particular, accentuates a certain type of player and especially at Bethpage, you have to be ready for that intense atmosphere.
Q. Luke, do you anticipate captaining your team in any way specifically for Bethpage Black?
LUKE DONALD: As I said before, the advantage we had in Rome and being at home, you feel that energy from the crowd and you can feed off it, obviously when we come to New York, it's going to be very pro American.
The good thing about New York is that it is a melting pot. There's lots of different cultures here. I see it as a semblance of what our team represent, as well.
So there will be some support, which we didn't have in Whistling Straits, which was a really tough atmosphere. You know, it is going to be likely pro-American, and we'll expect that and be prepared for that.
But the Ryder Cup is special because of that. It's an amazing event, two rivals going head-to-head. You know, battling it out, and you want it to feel that way. You want it to be energetic. You want it to have a lot of energy, and certainly no better place in the world than New York to kind of bring that energy.
Q. Keegan, it's my understanding that Bethpage Black has made a few tweaks to the golf course, speaking with their superintendent last week. Wondering if you can touch on those changes from your perspective, as well as talk about how many times you've visited Bethpage recently and your plans to continue visiting there over the near?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I haven't been out to Bethpage in a long time so I'm not totally sure of the changes.
Bethpage is a really special place for me in my golfing life. I came to St. Johns University in Queens, wanting to play golf; and going to Bethpage was the first major championship golf course I had ever senior played, and Tiger had just won there.
I really got a sense of how special and grand Bethpage is, and this is what a major championship course looks and feels like.
I really fell in love with New York through Bethpage. I just love the essence of what Bethpage brings in the public course and the vibe you get when you go there. I love the Red Course. It's just a really fun place to play golf.
Q. What is your plan with regard to LIV players, choosing them as captain's picks?
LUKE DONALD: The DP World Tour's policies have been very consistent. There's been a lot of clarity around that. It's really the same as it was in Rome. You have to be a Member of The European Tour and born in Europe. If you fulfill the regulations and the rules that the DP World Tour set, then you're eligible. There's a bunch of LIV guys that play on LIV that they are eligible now; so I can pick them at will.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: For us, I'm going to take the 12 best players. So if we feel like there's a few guys there, one guy, two guys, whatever it is, then we're going to do that.
But we're too far out to figure out how this is all going to play out. But we're definitely going to take the 12 best players however that shakes out.
Q. Are you involved already with course setup at Bethpage, and do you feel there are home course advantages to be had in terms of setup?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I know that the home team definitely has a lot less say in the setup than it used to.
I remember my first couple, I think we had -- the home team had a pretty serious say in the course setup and where the tees were.
We lose in the United States, I think it's three or four months before the tournament, we have no control. We have no control of the pin positions or where the tees are. We have a small little role in that.
But truthfully, we're still out there going to play golf. It doesn't matter, really, how the courses are set up. We're going out there and playing against each other.
I know on the U.S. side, three or four months beforehand, we have no say in the setup.
Q. What did you learn from Jim Furyk at Royal Montreal that you will take with you into next year's Ryder Cup?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I think what Jim did great was we got off to that incredible start, and the second session, we got beat 0-5, which was pretty shocking. He just stuck with the plan. He didn't panic. Didn't change the pairings. He kept everything very level.
I think that was a time in the tournament where he could have panicked a bit and decided to switch the plan up. It was very clear that he was going to stick with the script and go with what they had figured out before the week started, and I think a lot of the players responded well to that.
Q. Do you consider your team the underdog?
LUKE DONALD: When you're playing an away Ryder Cup, I think you have to be the underdog. Just looking historically, Whistling Straits, the result there was very one-sided. Hazeltine was pretty one-sided; Valhalla.
You know, we were fortunate to come back at Medinah. But the last few times we've played away, the results have been one-sided towards the is.
Yes, in a tough environment, we will be the underdogs.
Q. Keegan, are you buying that? (Laughter)?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I think Luke, these guys really love playing for Luke, and they are going to love coming into Bethpage and trying to shut up the fans, the players. It's a very unifying thing to be on a team and come into a hostile environment. We know that. We know how tough they are. We know how great of match play players they are, and how much they care about the Ryder Cup.
So you know, I think obviously the home team has a bit of an advantage but you know, they get to come in, us against the world, and that's always tough to play against.
Q. What does Sergio García need to do to have a chance to make the team?
LUKE DONALD: Well, first of all, obviously he resigned his membership a couple years ago. But we have had some chats. He's considering rejoining. He'd have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else, and if he does that, again, he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.
Q. I think we saw last year, Rory's emergence as a true leader within the team. How have you observed how he first treated it as an exhibition and how he's emerged as a true leader now?
LUKE DONALD: I think it was a little bit of a rude awakening for Rory when he made those comments before his first Ryder Cup in 2010. Pretty quickly found out, you know, it really isn't an exhibition.
This is the best event in golf and he said that, you know, after his devastating -- his loss; he had won his singles in Whistling Straits, but it was very, very emotional.
It just shows what it means to the players on both sides, the rivalry, the history of this Ryder Cup. You know, how playing for your teammates really brings out a lot in you. It brings out so much emotion and so much passion. We saw it with Keegan a couple weeks ago playing in The Presidents Cup. It's nothing like representing and playing for your country, your team, and trying to do your best for them. It really is -- no event in golf like it.
You know, Rory, he's been a leader for us, certainly. He understands the importance of the Ryder Cup. He understands that he wants to prepare as best as he can just like he would a major to be ready for that Ryder Cup. You know, he's always a very strong leader, a strong voice in the team room, and he's great to have on your team because of that.
Q. This is for Luke, but Keegan, love to hear your take if you have any opinions. From afar, somebody moot like look at the Ryder Cup captain captaincy, and say, a cynic might say, how hard can that be, just put out your best players and hope they make some putts and that's the job. Obviously that's not the case. But what would you say to somebody like that who maybe doesn't appreciate the role you guys have? Or asked another way, what's the most underrated part of the job in terms of the difficulty in the duty you guys face?
LUKE DONALD: It's difficult it quantify how much input and how much work has an end result for the team, it really is. You certainly still need 12 players playing well. You need your top players firing on all cylinders playing well to give yourself a chance.
For me as a captain, we talk about communication and having a good plan and coming there ready to perform, and I think, you know, that is different for someone coming in unprepared. I think it gives the guys a little bit of an edge, a feeling of confidence that they have what it takes to perform well that week.
So I think that's where our role is important just to kind of dot the i's and cross the t's and just give the guys a kind of a platform to succeed and go out and play well, like they know they can.
Q. Keegan, you're new to the job, but has anything surprised you so far in terms of the demand that's been asked of you?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Really the biggest thing for me was it was a surprise. So I've been sort of catching up. I was brought on to this a little later than the normal captains are.
So I'm still learning how to do all this. But you know, being in the team room for the Presidents Cup was a great reminder of how to do this and get to know the guys and get to know sort of what they want, how they like to prepare, and use that going forward.
But I'm still learning a lot, and I'm picking the grains of the captains, prior captains, prior players, and learning as much as I can.
Q. One of your expected top players, Xander Schauffele, had made mention of on these Ryder Cup weeks, maybe there's one-too-many dinners and galas and photo opportunities. Is that something as captain you can even control, and would you entertain maybe canceling one of those nights?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: What do you think, Julius? (Laughter).
JULIUS MASON: I think I'm glad I'm not a captain.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Listen, you come into a Ryder Cup and you know you have a lot of obligations. You're going to have to do things that you wouldn't normally do at a major week that is part of the deal.
Xander is a leader of the U.S. Team. He is a guy that everyone on the team looks up to, including their captain. He's just an unbelievably person and a critical part of our team. I think when he says that, he's just trying to look out for his other teammates. He's nothing but amazing in the team room and with the players. So he's going to be great, and if Julius can take a few of the obligations off, we'll do that. (Laughter).
LUKE DONALD: Don't look at me.
Q. Keegan, you mentioned before about the words "hostile environment." When does hostile become excessive? And to Luke, your comments, "I've been at Ryder Cups when some comments were made to players between holes, it wasn't exactly family dinner talk." How do you prepare players, given the environment that New York will be and how concerned would you be when lines happen to be crossed and what goes on in those matches?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, you know, we know you go over to an away Ryder Cup, it's going to be difficult. This is a big event. We're all grownups and we know how tough it is to go play an outside -- an away Ryder Cup.
You know, I have total faith in the fans of New York to cheer on their team, proudly and loudly. I don't want them to cross the line, to do anything that would affect the course of play. But it's going to be a tough atmosphere. It's going to be tough for both teams. You know, I think Luke would say, you've sort of got to be ready for it.
When we come play Bethpage in a major championship, you're ready for this is going to be an atmosphere that we are not normally used to. But I love the New York fans. I'm excited that they are on our side, and I have total faith in them. The PGA of America already has precautions in place if people cross the line.
Q. Have you spoken to Jon Rahm recently about his efforts to remain eligible for the Ryder Cup?
LUKE DONALD: Oh, I've spoken to Jon. I've spoken to everyone that is a possibility for being on that team. It was great to see Jon do what he needed to do to remain eligible and to see him in Spain, and last week he played very well at the Dunhill. We're in constant communication.
Again, I'm talking to all the players, to him, to Tyrrell. It was great to see Tyrrell win last week at the Dunhill.
You know, again, good communication between myself and all these players is vital, and I've certainly been keeping up with that.
Q. What's one piece of advice or encouragement that you would give to the fans at Bethpage and for Luke, what is one request you would have of the fans at Bethpage?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: So I would want them to cheer loudly and proudly for their team. I would want them to, this is a special place to New Yorkers, Bethpage, and you know, they are a part of our team. They are going to be with us through the whole week, and I want them to be passionate and loud and excited, and also respectful to the other side.
LUKE DONALD: I mean, I couldn't say it any better, really. I think that's what we would love, as well.
The Ryder Cup is special because it is spirited. Passions are high. Energy is high. You want to see that amongst the players. You certainly don't want to see the spirit of the Ryder Cup endangered in any way.
But again, I think Keegan said, The PGA of America have things in place for if there is, you know, outburst the or if there's anything deemed inappropriate, they will deal with that.
Again, we are looking forward to playing in front of a New York crowd. It's going to be fun. It's going to be feisty. It's going to be spirited, and it will be fun.
Q. Sergio has talked before about rejoining. Do you think that is a serious option?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, we chatted on phone a couple weeks ago. You know, he's certainly very interested in doing that. He understands everything that's involved, and again, the decision has to go to him, whether he's prepared to do all that.
But certainly, we've had that discussion, yes.
Q. Team Europe has created the Team Cup to work on team match-play conditions and to develop relationships. Could Team USA adopt a strategy like this?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, we play the Presidents Cup in the years that we don't do the Ryder Cup. So I don't see that happening. You know as a top U.S. player, you're going to do this once a year with the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup.
It's great to get the guys all together, but I don't see that happening because of our other tournament that we play.
Q. Nicolas Colsaerts said he would love to be involved again in 2025. Have you spoken to him about that?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, of course. I've been in contact with Nico. It was great to see him have a chance of winning last week, rolling back the years. I really thought he was going to do it at some point. You know, he was a great addition to our backroom team as a vice captain in Rome. He's very knowledgeable and very friendly with a lot of the European players. He gets along with them all. He has a great energy, a great vibe.
So far, I've just named Edoardo and Thomas as two vice captains, but Nico is someone that we're definitely keeping in mind for Bethpage.
Q. Can you say if Jim Furyk will be with you and Team USA at Bethpage?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: So I have two vice captains that I've named, and I sort of had to put this all on pause during the Presidents Cup because I was really nervous to play and I couldn't think of both things.
But now we're going to really ramp up this whole vice captains and team and everything. So I haven't gotten that far yet. But we're starting to really think about it.
Q. You're both competing on tours, and there's always a chance you could be part of the team as playing captains. What would this mean for you and your strategy?
LUKE DONALD: I think Keegan is sort of answered that one before. I'm in a little bit of a different situation than Keegan. I'm not 14 in the world. I'm something like 414 or 514. So my game just hasn't been quite as good the last few years.
I still love competing. I love going out there and playing my best, and trying to learn and trying to get better. But I'm a little bit older than Keegan. My view is in three years' time for that Champions Tour.
You know, it would take a big turnaround in my game for me to be eligible, but Keegan obviously has been playing great. He's one of the best players in the world. He just secured the winning point in The Presidents Cup team, and the way he's been playing, I think there's every chance of playing his way on to a team; he's playing that well.
You know, again, for me, I think it's a little unlikely. For Keegan, more likely, I would say.
Q. Can you say specifically what precautions The PGA of America has in place in case the crowd loses its mind?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, there's going to be people walking around inside the ropes that are going to be monitoring the situation. It's really important to us, the U.S. side, that it's a fair place to play for both teams. Nobody on either team wants this to get uncomfortable or weird out there.
But listen, you come into Yankee Stadium; you come into Madison Square Garden; you come into these places, it's a tough place to play, and Luke and the boys know that.
But I have total faith in the fans, and they are going to be loud and they are going to be passionate, and The PGA of America is going to do a great job making sure everything's right.
Q. Is there a Plan B in place already if you do make the team as a player?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: You know, every vice captain that I am choosing will know that this is a possibility. So they will know what's going on in that way. I also have John Wood who has come on.
But I think my vice captains are all going to be more than capable of doing this, and I hope some day they will all be captains. But again, we're so far away from that that I'm really focused on being a captain right now.
Q. Edoardo Molinari is back on your side. Other than important numbers, what does he add to the team?
LUKE DONALD: He is obviously our stats kind of guru. He works closely with many players individually, as well, 25, 30 guys or so. He understands the importance of numbers and the importance of strategy through those numbers.
But he's been through this process with me before in Rome, and you know, having someone with a little bit of consistency of having the same personnel around you is helpful for me. We know each other very well. We get along well with each other and we have a passion for trying to put in a good plan for success.
You know, he obviously is a numbers guy but very, very smart individual, as well, and has a lot of good points of view that I certainly take on board.
Q. What have your conversations been, if any, with Tiger about potential involvement and do you expect him to be involved at all?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: So I speak to Tiger a bunch when the announcement happened. He was really, really helpful. Had a lot of great advice.
Again, the stress of playing in The Presidents Cup and then the Playoffs and everything that came with that, I sort of put everything on pause for a second, and I'll be addressing that in the coming weeks and months.
But I've had great conversations with Tiger. He's a mentor of all of us, and you know, he's got a lot of great suggestions on things we can do as a team.
Q. Obviously last year, you took a team at Wentworth, all 12 played, and there really seemed to be a great bonding experience. Do both of you guys envision establishing a tournament where all 12 of your guys are going to play next fall, perhaps next September, in that lull between THE TOUR Championship and The Ryder Cup?
LUKE DONALD: Certainly with Wentworth, that wasn't me pushing the 12 players to play. Obviously Wentworth is our biggest event on the DP World Tour. It's the PLAYERS Championship equivalent. It's an event that a lot of the top players want to play, including some Americans.
So it really wasn't me telling them to play. That was just an organic thing from them. I don't really like to get in the way of their personal schedules. They have to perform and do their schedules however they best think will get them ready.
Again, it was great to see all 12 play. I think all 12 made the cut. Everyone played quite well that week. It was great to have them all together playing a couple weeks before the Ryder Cup. But that's how they did it individually. They knew that playing that was going to give them the best opportunity to enjoy that event but be ready for the Ryder Cup as well.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, we are talking all options with the guys, the same with Luke. I'm not going to tell a grown man what they have to do and what they don't have to do.
But I think the boys are really interested in coming in prepared, and there's a couple different options for that. One is going to play. One is all getting together and having some matches. But we're definitely going to be -- going to take some measures to be ready to play.
Q. Keegan, you played at Bethpage Black when you were at St. Johns, and knowing the unique challenges that the course proposes, does that lend you to select certain players with maybe specific strengths or even players that have experience playing at Bethpage Black?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I think you'll factor all of that in in the end. Bethpage is a big golf course. You can look at past results. But ultimately, you want to have the players that are playing the best. You want to have the 12 best.
So a tournament that happened a decade ago, who knows how much that's going to affect playing well at the Ryder Cup. So we are going to take a look at every single factor that you can think of. To come play Bethpage, all these boys really want to get here and play. It's going to be a tough decision.
Q. You mentioned John Wood there. Could you maybe talk through, obviously it's a brand new role for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team. Can you talk through maybe the specifics of his duties and how he's been helpful to you here in the early going?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I've known John for a long time. He's on board to help us win the Ryder Cup. I don't think there's any job description. That he is just what it is. He's there to help captains, the players, the caddies, the wives. Like he's there to help us all. We're grateful for that and you know, we're hoping that his addition will just help us be better.
JULIUS MASON: Back at the Times Center, if there one last question. And if there is not, with three minutes left to go, ladies and gentlemen, how about a hand for our Ryder Cup Captains, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley.
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