USA captain Keegan Bradley rushed to make his point to the referee after a rules controversy involving Justin Rose caused a delay on the third and final day of Ryder Cup action
Keegan Bradley, the captain of Team USA, has stirred up controversy at the Ryder Cup by disputing Justin Rose’s lie in a desperate bid to stage a comeback.
Bradley has faced a barrage of criticism since the Ryder Cup kicked off on Friday. He’s been outthought by Luke Donald, with Europe on the brink of a historic victory at Bethpage Black.
Despite the odds, Bradley was still hopeful of a turnaround, even drawing inspiration from the New England Patriots’ remarkable Super Bowl LIII comeback from 28-3 down. However, the 39 year old, who chose not to be a playing captain, truly threw himself into the fray when he contested a lie during Rose’s match against Cameron Young.
Once the Sunday singles lineup was confirmed, Rose was paired with Young. The American was leading by two after 12 holes, but a contentious incident occurred on the 13th green.
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After an unplayable lie was called, Rose wanted to drop his ball near the 14th tee as he found himself behind a temporary structure. Referee Jeff Kiddie initially agreed, but Bradley saw things differently, reports the Mirror US.
Bradley made a beeline for Kiddie, getting right in the referee’s face to challenge the original ruling. He believed Rose’s drop was closer to the hole and easier.
Following a lengthy delay, Kiddie sided with Bradley. Rose was forced to drop the ball again, which rolled down the slope towards the green, ending up lower.
Bradley, clearly chuffed with his intervention, wagged his finger triumphantly as he returned to the crowd’s chants. However, Rose wasn’t fazed and responded brilliantly; despite being in a tricky spot, he lofted the ball high into the air and onto the green, leaving him just five feet from the hole.
Rose then confidently putted for birdie, capitalising on his impressive shot. Bradley was left seething, shooting Rose a glare as the Englishman strolled past.
The US captain also seemed to be directing his anger at referee Kiddie. It was evident that Bradley was still irked by the drop Rose received in the woods, even after having contested it.
Bradley continued to voice his complaints and berate the rules officials even after Rose scored a birdie following the 10-minute delay. Rose moved on, scoring another birdie on the 14th to win the hole and narrow the gap.