NAPA, Calif. — Keegan Bradley didn’t get one bag of Lays potato chips.
The man got two.
Tuesday afternoon, near the practice green of Silverado Resort’s North Course, a food truck was grilling lunch for the field and those associated with the field for the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship, and the line stretched practically longer than a par-5, as did the greasy scent. Burgerdogs were the meal, and if you’re unfamiliar, they’re a holy marriage of hamburgers and hot dogs concocted at San Francisco’s Olympic Club. And that’s something you wait for. But the Lays were ready. They sat in bins near the food truck. So Bradley left the line, about 20 folks short of the end, snagged a bag, returned to his spot and started to nosh as he talked with Russell Henley, Cameron Young and Gary Woodland.
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In a most unusual pro golf week, understand this then:
’Cap doesn’t stand around.
With managing his hunger.
But what about with America’s best dozen golfers? Two years ago, the U.S. Ryder Cup team was resoundingly panned following its 16.5-11.5 loss to its European opponent, after just three Americans had played in the two-week lead-up — compared to all 12 Euros. Were they unready? The math was damning. This year’s captain took note, though, as Bradley has masterminded what’s unfolding at the Procore. A Tour event is being played, and 10 Americans are playing it — the other two have their reasons — but they’re also using it under no illusions as a de facto Ryder Cup training camp.
On Tuesday, at about 9 in the morning local time, it started in earnest. All 10 played practice rounds. Bradley drove around in a cart. And a reporter walked close by for about three hours.
Below are 18 things spotted.
Besides Bradley doubling up on chips.
1.Collin Morikawa and Harris English played first, together. Is that a potential foursomes or four ball preview for Bethpage? Perhaps. During Thursday’s first round and Friday’s second round, they’ll play again, along with vice captain Webb Simpson. (Thursday, they start at 12:49 p.m. local time; Friday, they start at 7:44 a.m.)
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2. As they played, Henley, Young, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns and J.J. Spaun hit on the range, along with Woodland, a vice captain. At first, Bradley sat in a cart about 75 yards behind the range and informally talked with familiar reporters. He wore a U.S. cap (its buttons in the back were unbuttoned except for two), a blue sweater, a white polo, blue pants, short socks and tennis shoes. After a while, his caddie, Scott Vail, walked up and deadpanned:
“Hey, could I get a ride over to 5?”
Over the next three hours, Bradley talked with Vail often. He also spent a good amount of time with vice captain Jim Furyk.
3. Vail was given an item that all the caddies will seemingly get.
4. Bradley said he turned down a police presence for him this week. One uniformed officer did follow him, though.
5. Bradley was asked the last time he’d gone to a Tour event as a non-player.
He said when he was 13 — 26 years ago.
6. Scheffler, Henley, Spaun and Woodland played second, starting at about 10:30. The third group was Cantlay, Burns, Young and Thomas. At one point, all eight players, their caddies, Bradley and various others were on the first tee.
A player in the Procore field but not a Ryder Cup member walked past, noticed reporters watching and said:
“Look at all these reporter types here for this. Wonder why?”
7. Were the groupings another preview? On Thursday and Friday, Scheffler, Henley and Spaun will play together (at 12:38 p.m. on Thursday and at 7:33 a.m. on Friday); Cantlay and Burns will play together, alongside Woodland (at 1 p.m. on Thursday and at 7:55 a.m. on Friday); and Young, Thomas and Ben Griffin will play together (at 1:11 p.m. on Thursday at at 8:06 a.m. on Friday).
8. Bradley alternated between groups. He started first with the Scheffler, Henley, Spaun and Woodland. Over the three hours, he jumped back, then jumped back ahead often.
9. There were jokes. On the 2nd tee, Thomas mentioned something to his group about high school golf, and Burns showed them something on his phone. He then showed Bradley something on his phone again on the 5th hole. On the 8th tee, Bradley and Scheffler laughed. On the 8th green, Spaun called Scheffler “a fun killer” after a putt. (Both groups appeared to be playing a light match.) While walking the 9th fairway, Bradley said something that made Scheffler and Woodland almost double-over.
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10. On 2, John Wood pulled up on a cart. He’s a longtime caddie and an analyst for NBC — and he’s a team manager for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. At various points, he was taking notes. Besides him on his cart was a leather book adorned with a Ryder Cup logo.
On 6, Wood meticulously raked sand after a Spaun bunker shot.
11. Bradley was on his phone often. Why?
Furyk said the team group text was busy.
12. On the 5th tee, Bradley asked to see Burns’ driver. That was one of two times he touched a club. Burns laughed while Bradley held it.
13. After the group teed off on 5, Bradley took a picture. That was the only picture he appeared to take. It was seemingly a good one. The nearby mountains were in the background.
14. The second time Bradley used a club was on the 6th green. He hit a putt with Woodland’s putter.
15. Walking the 8th fairway, Bradley informally talked with reporters again. Tuesday night, the 10 players, Bradley and the vice captains were to have a dinner at a nearby house. There’d be some wine, given this is Wine Country.
Bryson DeChambeau, also a team member, was expected to be there. He plays his golf with LIV Golf, and, according to a person close to the situation on Monday, he won’t be on the grounds at the Procore.
Xander Schauffele, the 12th member of the team, isn’t in the field this week. The Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson reported that Schauffele and his wife, Maya, welcomed their first child.
16. A reporter asked Bradley why Scheffler, the world No. 1, is so good.
Face control, he said. And his short game.
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17. As Scheffler, Henley, Spaun and Woodland putted on the 9th green, Matt Kuchar, a four-time U.S. Ryder Cupper, walked by and talked briefly with a few people around the green. He was later spotted with a 2016 Ryder Cup bag.
18. Everyone then carted back to the clubhouse area. And the burgerdogs.
Furyk, the 2018 Ryder Cup captain and last year’s Presidents Cup captain, talked to a few reporters. The one who walked with Bradley for the three hours asked Furyk what was something that he believed Bradley was doing well.
“He got 10 guys here,” Furyk said.
“That’s never happened before. I’ll go, that’s really great. And I give not only Keegan credit with that, which he gets most of it, but I give our leaders, I give the players a lot of credit to want to be here to realize that a couple years ago it didn’t go the way we wanted.
“There was a long layoff and we’re going to change that.”
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