Azinger: Bethpage Black is the 'biggest mistake' that could haunt U.S. at Ryder Cup

The United States Ryder Cup team faces renewed questions about Bethpage Black after Paul Azinger called the Long Island layout the biggest mistake that could haunt the Americans. In a recent appearance on Trey Wingo’s Straight Facts Homie! podcast, Azinger said familiarity with the course matters and that the U.S. team may not embrace Bethpage quickly, adding that Keegan Bradley will have to rally the squad with a single-minded focus. "I feel like Keegan’s going to have to get these guys on a mission and on a mission quickly and single-minded to figure out how to fall in love with Bethpage Black," Azinger said. "I guarantee you they don’t love it either. Me and you don’t love it. They don’t love it. Europe doesn’t care what the course is. Our guys might."

Bethpage has hosted three major championships this century — the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2009 and the PGA Championship in 2019 — and will again host a major when the 2025 U.S. Open is played on the course. Azinger’s remarks, transcribed by Golf.com, also touched on broader questions about how teams approach unfamiliar layouts. "Nope, not at all. We don’t know the course," Azinger said. "I think one of the biggest mistakes that the American Ryder Cup team always seems to make, or the PGA of America, is they go to courses that we’re not familiar with." The comment comes as half of the U.S. Ryder Cup squad previously competed in the 2019 PGA Championship, with Patrick Cantlay finishing third, Xander Schauffele 16th, Justin Thomas 23rd, Sam Burns 29th, J.J. Spaun 54th and Bryson DeChambeau missing the cut. Brooks Koepka, the 2019 winner on the U.S. side, has largely struggled this season on LIV Golf and in majors, and was not among Bradley’s captain’s selections.

Bradley, who chose not to be a playing captain despite an excellent season, has a long association with Bethpage from his days starring for St. John’s. Cameron Young, a Westchester native, has also spoken fondly of the public layout as the captain and his team map a plan for the week. The strength on both sides includes powerful players who can handle Bethpage’s length, but Azinger’s comments raise questions about whether the Americans can quickly acclimate to a layout they say they don’t all love.

Azinger’s observations reflect a larger, longstanding debate about course familiarity in the Ryder Cup. The former captain who led the U.S. to a decisive win at Valhalla in 2008 also faced Bethpage as a player in 2002, when rain and conditions created a tough opening day. He missed the cut at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage, a memory that he has cited in discussing the course’s impact on players and the value of preparation.

As Bethpage prepares to host the Ryder Cup this week, Bradley and his team must navigate a course that some veteran voices, including Azinger, view as a potential obstacle to momentum. The conversation underscores the broader challenge of balancing course familiarity with the need to field a confident squad ready to compete against a European team known for its depth and experience in major championships.