‘Worst Captain Ever’: Golf Fans Left Agitated as Keegan Bradley and Zach Johnson Ryder Cup Call Comes to Light

Leading up to the 2023 Ryder Cup, there was an unexpected twist in events as Keegan Bradley discovered that he was not going to be a part of the American squad. The decision to drop Bradley caught many off guard since it was the least expected. Netflix’s Full Swing documentary which follows golfers on and off the course shed light on the conversation between Bradley and US captain Zach Johnson.

Bradley had won two events in 2023 and also had six top-10 finishes. He very much wanted to represent his country on the grand stage but was snubbed. The details of the questionable decision have now emerged with fans lashing out at Johnson.

“No easy way to say this” details of Zach Johnson’s call with Keegan Bradley

The moment when United States Captain Zach Johnson called Bradley to deliver the news of his exclusion from the team is captured in the Netflix documentary Full Swing. Johnson began the call with, “Thanks for being patient with me. There’s no easy way to say this, my friend. I find it best to just go in a different direction this year. It’s nothing you did or didn’t do because you’re amazing on and off the course.”

Johnson continued and then explained the reason behind his decision, “I just feel like it’s best this year to go in a different direction. I would love to take 30 guys and I cannot. And just know that I am so grateful for you.”

This was challenging for the skipper as well. He mentioned before the call that he does not “envy this part of this job,” expressing his displeasure since he and Bradley were peers for a long time. The golfer respectfully accepted the decision and said, “OK Zach, I understand. Wishing you obviously good luck and hope that you guys go over there and win it,” before disconnecting the call,

The 2011 PGA Championship winner was very sad to learn that his 2023 Ryder Cup dreams had been shattered. He said, “It’s anger, sadness, all the things but then it’s like there’s no wrong decisions with who’s on the team, everyone’s such a great player.” Bradley has not featured at a Ryder Cup since defeat to the Europeans at Gleneagles in 2014.

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With the exact details of the call coming to light and the fact that Team USA lost to Team Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup, fans are not leaving any chance to criticize Johnson for his decision.

Fans are lashing out at Zach Johnson for snubbing Keegan Bradley for Ryder Cup 2023

After watching this video clip of the call between the two pros, fans were feeling bad for Bradley. One fan utterly dissatisfied, called out the decision of appointing Johnson as the captain of Team USA.

A fan called out Johnson’s captaincy, and pointed out that he was feeling bad because he made the wrong choice by not letting Keegan Bradley into the team. The decision ultimately backfired as Team Europe beat Team USA with a score of  16.5 to 11.5 at the Marco Simone course in Rome.

One fan even went ahead and labeled Johnson as the “worst captain.” His decision making and leadership came under intense scrutiny before and during the Ryder Cup. Apart from his selections for the competition, the fact that with many of his players took five weeks off also raised doubts about how well he prepared his team.

Bradley had performed admirably in 2023. He took part in 21 tournaments last year and made the cut in 16 which also included four top-10 finishes. He also won the Travelers Championship and was a runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open. This string of impressive performances made his exclusion all the more baffling.

One comment indicated that no explanation was provided to Bradley for not selecting him, just a painful rejection message was delivered.

After not being picked for the Ryder Cup a dejected Bradley had said, “I’ve always been an outsider in the sport, but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team. I feel like moving forward, I’m going to have to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup.” Emphasizing what the golfer, a fan reiterated the same point.

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