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Captain Keegan Bradley isn’t panicking—at least not publicly. He is sticking with his plan, which includes keeping Harris English and Collin Morikawa together despite their Friday struggles. Sometimes stubbornness pays off in golf, and sometimes it gets you a one-way ticket to becoming a trivia answer. Bradley’s betting on the former. The morning foursomes lineup tells the story of American desperation wrapped in strategic hope: Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young vs. Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick (7:10 a.m.) Collin Morikawa and Harris English vs. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood (7:26 a.m.) Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay vs. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (7:42 a.m.) Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley vs. Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland (7:58 a.m.) What Team USA Needs To Win The math is brutal but simple: America needs to win at least three of four morning matches to have any realistic shot at Sunday singles. Anything less, and they will be staring at a deficit that would make even the most optimistic fan start planning their Sunday afternoon around something other than golf. Scheffler, the world’s top player, needs to show why he’s earned that ranking. DeChambeau’s power could be a difference-maker on Bethpage’s length, but only if he can keep it in play. And somehow, some way, the Americans need to figure out how to handle the pressure of playing from behind in front of their home crowd. The Afternoon Four-Ball Challenge If the Americans can claw back in the morning, the afternoon four-ball presents their best opportunity to flip the script. Four-ball tends to favor aggressive play and individual brilliance—exactly what Team USA needs right now. But if they are still trailing significantly after the morning session, Saturday afternoon could turn into a European victory lap. The beauty of the Ryder Cup is that golf doesn’t care about your nationality, your ranking, or how loud your home crowd cheers. It only cares about who can handle the pressure when it matters most. Right now, Europe is handling it like seasoned veterans, while America is learning the hard way that home-field advantage doesn’t automatically translate to birdies on the scorecard. The Bottom Line Saturday at Bethpage Black isn’t just about golf—it’s about pride, redemption, and whether Team USA can channel the kind of magic that makes the Ryder Cup the most compelling event in professional golf. They’ve got the talent, they’ve got the crowd, and they’ve definitely got the motivation. The question is: do they have the nerves to pull off what would be one of the greatest comebacks in recent Ryder Cup history? We’ll find out soon enough, and trust me, it’s going to be anything but boring.
