The 2025 Ryder Cup was not an overwhelming loss for the United States, largely due to an impressive comeback on the final day. However, this surge was overshadowed by a significant lead that Europe secured in the first two days, marking the first win for Europe on U.S. soil since 2012.

After the U.S. team’s performance fell short at home, much blame directed towards Captain Keegan Bradley, particularly regarding the setup of the course at Bethpage Black. This course, known for its difficulty, saw unusual changes like reduced rough, and rain earlier that week made the greens softer, contributing to the U.S. team’s troubles as the Europeans excelled in their putting.

Tension arose between the U.S. team and the course staff over the speed of the greens. By Sunday, the greens were faster, coinciding with the Americans’ strong performance. While Bradley received criticism for the setup, Justin Thomas disclosed that the U.S. team and Bethpage staff had ongoing disputes regarding the green speeds during the week. This was revealed in a recent episode of the No Laying Up podcast.

“I don’t know why they weren’t at all what Keegan had asked for…I watched them argue with us that they were 13s [on the Stimpmeter]. It’s like, ‘Guys, we play golf every week… Nobody is getting … You can’t have a putt roll 3-4 feet past the hole. Like, these greens are slow. Speed them up.’” - Justin Thomas

He continued, “It was just bizarre because that’s not something you would expect at a home Ryder Cup… We were being fought with on the speed of the greens that we requested. So that was frustrating.”

While these issues are concerning, they don’t excuse the U.S. team’s underwhelming performance on the initial two days. Adverse conditions challenged the team, and the PGA of America will need to ensure that the course staff is flexible in future Ryder Cups held in the U.S. Overall, despite these hurdles, the U.S. team needs to step up their game under varying conditions.