History has always loomed large over the Ryder Cup, with its epic comebacks and crushing defeats. But what unfolded at Bethpage Black in September 2025 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic, emotionally charged Sundays the storied competition has ever seen—even if the record books show a European victory. For Team USA, led by captain Keegan Bradley and a cadre of vice-captains including Kevin Kisner, the weekend was a rollercoaster of hope, frustration, and, ultimately, reflection on what could have been.
Let’s set the stage: Team USA entered Sunday’s singles matches trailing by a daunting seven points. The math was brutal. No team in Ryder Cup history had ever erased a deficit larger than four points—let alone seven. The Americans needed 9.5 points from just 12 matches to tie, a feat that seemed all but impossible. As Kisner, the 41-year-old assistant captain, admitted on SiriusXM’s “Gravy & The Sleeze” podcast, “You don’t have a ton of hope when you’re down by seven in the Ryder Cup. The biggest comeback of all time is four or five, I think.”
The opening days had not been kind to the Americans. On Friday, September 26, Team USA fell behind 5.5-2.5. Saturday was even worse, with Europe extending its lead to 11.5-4.5. “We got our butts kicked for 12 hours two days in a row,” Kisner reflected. “We were feeling pretty down about everything we did, we did all this prep work and tried to put the guys in the best position. We basically just got out-putted for two days.” According to Kisner, the Europeans simply holed more putts, a sentiment echoed by fellow vice-captain Brandt Snedeker earlier in the week.
Yet there was more to it than just putting. The Americans’ strategy and decision-making came under fire. Kisner, Bradley, and the rest of the captaincy team faced criticism for several choices, most notably pairing Collin Morikawa and Harris English together twice in the foursomes, despite data suggesting otherwise. Bradley also allowed Russell Henley to take the odd-numbered tee shots on day one, while Scottie Scheffler, the team’s longest hitter, took the evens—a decision that defied the course’s data-driven logic. “All of the data pointed towards the longest hitter being suited to the odd numbered tee shots,” noted one report. Kisner acknowledged the need for the U.S. leadership to own up to these mistakes. “There were many reasons why the United States lost the Ryder Cup. Europe’s superior putting was obviously one of them, but with so many of the American team suggesting that was the only reason, they could be in for much more disappointment in the years to come at the Ryder Cup.”
As Sunday dawned, the Americans’ task became even steeper. Viktor Hovland, a key European player, withdrew due to a neck injury, resulting in his match against Harris English being declared a half under the envelope agreement. That nudged the score to 12-5 before a single shot was struck on Sunday. Team USA needed to pull off the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history just to tie.
Kisner, who never played in a Ryder Cup as a competitor despite an impressive match play record, found himself stationed on the 12th green—a par-4, 496-yard hole that became his personal command center. For about an hour, he watched every group come through, listened to radio updates, and soaked in the tension. “The first thing I see is the first two European guys are winning their matches through four or five holes and I’m like, ‘man this is tough’,” Kisner recalled. Even the most optimistic voices in the U.S. dressing room had little hope of a miracle.
But then, something shifted. The crowd, initially subdued, began to stir. Cameron Young drained a clutch birdie putt, and Kisner, hearing the news on the radio before it hit the scoreboard, pointed at the board and raised his hands in anticipation. The crowd erupted when the score finally updated. “Then Justin Thomas did it and Bryson came back and these people are just going crazy out there, the energy was so much fun. It was just a cool thing to be a part of,” Kisner said during his podcast appearance.
The Americans started winning crucial points. Bryson DeChambeau clawed back from multiple holes down, and Justin Thomas delivered his own heroics. The belief began to spread, both among the players and the thousands of fans lining Bethpage Black’s fairways. “Getting that fired up and the crowd getting that fired up,” Kisner remembered. “We started making putts, and we’re winning all the crucial points. On the radio, suddenly, like, oh my gosh, we got a chance to actually do this, boys.”
For twenty magical minutes, the impossible felt possible. Team USA surged, winning six matches outright and halving four more. That 8.5-point haul tied the record for most points in a singles session. Only Patrick Cantlay fell short, losing his match to Ludvig Åberg 2&1. The Americans’ furious charge electrified the crowd and sent a jolt of hope through the U.S. camp.
But as the afternoon wore on, Europe’s composure held. Shane Lowry’s birdie on the 18th hole and Tyrrell Hatton’s half-point sealed the European victory, with a final score of 15-13. The comeback, for all its drama, fell just short. Yet, for Kisner and many who witnessed it, those moments of belief and energy were unforgettable. “The energy was so much fun,” he reflected. “It was just a cool thing to be a part of.”
In the aftermath, Kisner has been candid about both the positives and the shortcomings of Team USA’s performance. He’s rejected claims that Europe was simply better prepared, insisting that the Americans were outplayed on the greens rather than outplanned. Still, he’s called for more honest self-reflection among the U.S. leadership, warning that without it, future Ryder Cups may bring more heartbreak.
As the dust settles, the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black stands as a vivid reminder of golf’s unpredictable drama. For a fleeting spell, the impossible comeback was alive. The Americans, battered by two days of European dominance, found belief and energy when it mattered most. While the trophy returns to Europe, the lessons—and the memories—remain on American soil, fueling hope for redemption in the years ahead.
