Collin Morikawa reveals the key factor behind Team USA’s 2025 Ryder Cup defeat

Collin Morikawa had a tough time at last year’s Ryder Cup, both on and off the course. His form had been under scrutiny leading up to the event, with questions being raised about whether he should have even been part of the team.

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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Collin Morikawa had a tough time at last year’s Ryder Cup, both on and off the course.
His form had been under scrutiny leading up to the event, with questions being raised about whether he should have even been part of the team. That doubt only grew as the tournament went on.
It did not help that his pairing with Harris English in the Friday and Saturday foursomes did not make much sense on paper or in practice.
The decision to send out a struggling duo twice backfired, and Keegan Bradley will know by now that those calls played a big part in how things turned out for Team USA.
Some would argue that Morikawa should not have been selected at all, especially since he has not won an event since October 2023.
The 29-year-old American has now explained his view on why the Europeans were victorious in the three-day showdown at Bethpage Black.
Collin Morikawa sheds light on why Team USA came up short at Bethpage
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The 2025 Ryder Cup was one that the United States will want to put behind them quickly.
Despite mounting a late charge during the Sunday singles, they had already fallen too far behind over the first two days to recover.
Speaking on Dan Rapaport’s Dan on Golf Show, Morikawa reflected on what happened that week in September.
The two-time major champion was also asked whether he felt European players cared more about the event than their American counterparts.
“No, I mean, maybe that was a narrative a while ago,” he replied.
“But I think our group of guys that have played over the last, at least my three Ryder Cups, like, we care, we get along well, maybe we have to push a narrative for people to believe it.
“I could text any one of these guys and ask to go to dinner, ask them a question about anything.
“It’s we just didn’t play well. First two days, you know, we didn’t get that momentum, we didn’t get the few putts that we needed to drop.
“Condition wise, we had a real tough time controlling spin out of the fairways, and we played against Rory and Tommy, Harris and I did, and, like, it was almost better to play out of the rough, because there wasn’t any rough.
“But put all the excuses aside, like, simply, we just didn’t play well. It happens, that’s golf.”
Collin Morikawa gives honest take on US Ryder Cup fans at Bethpage
Rapaport asked Morikawa whether the behaviour of US fans towards European players ended up hurting the home side more than it did Luke Donald’s team.
The two-time major champion answered: “Yeah, it puts everyone in an uncomfortable position because I think in any sport, for one, like, you don’t hear like if you’re playing football, like you don’t hear anything.
“Right? Like, you don’t hear what someone is saying who’s sitting in row 435. In golf, like, we’re this close. Literally.
“So it’s not, you know, everyone thinks that rope is like the magical border that just nothing gets through.
“Like, it’s not, it’s not how it works.
“I mean, I think there’s a point of respect, and there’s a point of pushing the boundaries.
“I think the fans might have poked the bear a little bit too hard and I think they (European team) came in knowing it.
“And when it got over on that edge, that just was too far, you know, it probably just helped them to play well and keep playing well.”
US Ryder Cup fans should focus all their energy on supporting their team, mirroring the positive atmosphere at Hazeltine in 2016 and Whistling Straits in 2021, rather than resorting to abusing the opposition.
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