For years, the narrative surrounding the American Ryder Cup team has been one of confusion, disappointment, and lately, criticism. Despite having the world’s best individual talents and dominant performances on home soil—like the 2021 blowout at Whistling Straits—the U.S. has failed to win on European turf since 1993. That’s 30 years and counting. In 2025, the pressure is once again immense, and this time, the scrutiny is aimed squarely at Keegan Bradley’s squad, with some fans and media members suggesting the Americans just don’t want it badly enough.
But Jim “Bones” Mackay isn’t having it. “It drives me crazy when people suggest that it doesn’t mean as much to the Americans,” Mackay said on the Glue Guys Podcast. “Maybe that’s why we haven’t performed as well as—well, as we should. I shouldn’t say we—uh, as they should—over the years. But if anything, I think it’s because the Americans have put so much pressure on themselves, you know, to right the ship and to make up for the fact that there haven’t been as many wins—or no away wins—for the U.S. since 1993.”
Mackay, a three-time Masters-winning caddie who spent 25 years on the bag for Phil Mickelson and helped Justin Thomas gain a much-awaited win the RBC Heritage this year, has been inside the ropes for Ryder Cup heartbreaks and triumphs. He knows better than most that the perception gap between how fans view the Ryder Cup and how players experience it is wide.
Enter co-host Shane Battier, who recently spent time with U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and offered a passionate defense of the team’s mindset: “Captain Keegan—a few weeks ago—like, he wants to win so badly and just represent the country and put together a team that is worth rooting for this country. So, I don’t want anyone to ever think that these players don’t care about the Ryder Cup. They care about it more than we’ll ever know. And that’s why this event is the best.”
Since 1993, the U.S. has won just three of the last eleven Ryder Cups. All of those wins—1999 at Brookline, 2008 at Valhalla, and 2016 at Hazeltine—came on home soil. Every trip to Europe since then has ended in disappointment: Valderrama (1997), The Belfry (2002), K Club (2006), Celtic Manor (2010), Gleneagles (2014), and most recently Marco Simone in 2023. Some were close. Others, like 2018 at Le Golf National and 2023 in Rome, were blowouts. Critics often point to poor preparation, fractured team dynamics, and questionable captain’s picks. But to suggest the U.S. team lacks desire? That’s a bridge too far for those who’ve been inside the team room.
Keegan Bradley on the Ryder Cup
If Keegan Bradley didn’t care, he wouldn’t have teared up on national television after not being picked for the 2023 team—despite finishing 11th in points and winning twice that season. He wouldn’t have accepted the 2025 captaincy with an emotional, urgent tone. And he certainly wouldn’t be pulling in vice captains like Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner, Jim Furyk, and Brandt Snedeker—guys who bleed Ryder Cup red, white, and blue.
The Bethpage trees will fill out, seasons will pass & the Ryder Cup will be here before we know it. #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/OKEUpjhIU0
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) May 1, 2025
“This is the greatest honor of my career,” Bradley said during his captaincy press conference in July 2024. “I grew up dreaming about this event. I’ve played in it. I’ve sat at home and cried watching it. I know how much it means. We’re coming to Bethpage to win.” That emotional resolve isn’t new, it’s been building for years. After being snubbed from the 2023 team, Bradley made his Ryder Cup obsession plain. “I think about the Ryder Cup every second I’m awake basically,” he shared at the 2023 BMW Championship.
And if there’s any doubt about how he’s approaching this role, look no further than what he told Golf Digest shortly after his captaincy announcement: “I’m going to get criticized as captain next year. They’re going to underestimate me. They’re going to doubt me. I’ve been doubted my whole f—— life.” He’s not just rallying around vibes. Bradley’s strategy includes earlier scouting trips, personalized stats analysis, and a clear message: urgency without panic. His players, many of whom were part of the 2021 beatdown at Whistling Straits, are hungry to prove that wasn’t a one-off. And if Mackay’s words carry the weight they should, the public should start seeing this team not as aloof superstars, but as players crushed under the weight of a 30-year monkey on their back—desperate to shake it once and for all.
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