FDNY lieutenant’s 9/11 memory moves U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage
During Monday practice at Bethpage Black, an FDNY lieutenant shared his family’s 9/11 story with Captain Keegan Bradley and Team USA.
A moment of memory and motivation punctuated Monday’s Ryder Cup practice at Bethpage Black when Keegan Bradley introduced Chris Mascali, a 42-year-old lieutenant from Ladder 157 in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to the U.S. team. Mascali stood with his 8-year-old son, Joey, as he spoke to Team USA before the players split into groups for the first official practice rounds ahead of the 45th matches, which begin Friday.
Joey is named after Joseph Mascali, Chris’s father. Joseph Mascali died on Sept. 11, 2001, while serving with Rescue 5 on Staten Island. He was off that day but joined his ladder company on the call, and the family has carried his memory with them in the years since.
About an hour before the 12 U.S. players would split into three groups of four for the day’s first practice rounds, Bradley introduced Mascali to the team on the first tee. The moment tied together the sport’s high-pressure preparation with a family history of service and sacrifice, as Mascali’s presence and story provided a reminder of the personal dimensions that can accompany a major team event.
Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, and his 12 players and their caddies gathered ahead of the week’s competition, with the matches set to begin Friday. The scene underscored the emotional layer that sports teams sometimes draw from outside the ropes: memory, tribute, and the everyday bravery of first responders who serve communities in crisis.
The practice rounds at Bethpage, a venue known for its demanding links-style layout, have long served as a testing ground for the American squad before competition against the European team. This year’s gathering included a mix of veterans and rising stars, all focused on refining synergy and execution across formats that will determine the outcome of the matches.
Mascali’s appearance and his family’s story resonated beyond the golf course, illustrating how the Ryder Cup and similar events often intersect with broader narratives of resilience and remembrance. For Team USA, the moment offered a personal source of motivation as players prepared to balance competing on a global stage with respect for those who have faced extraordinary adversity in their own lives.