The Ryder Cup game reaches Scotland

WWelcome to GOLF.com's “Seen & Heard” video series, where we give you an inside look at golf's biggest events through the eyes and ears of our local team. On deck this week: the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, In Scotland. Let's go!

The Genesis Scottish Open week started with a bang with the good news on Monday that Keegan Bradley will lead the US Ryder Cup team as captain for the 2025 games.

That announcement shook us more than 3,000 miles from The Renaissance Club, the site of this week's event where our own Sean Zak was eager to get the players' decisions on the selection. Zak called it a “shocking” announcement.

The first player to offer his thoughts was PGA champion Xander Schauffele.

“Academically, he is strong,” said Schauffele. That's how you compete and how you are. I am sure that as captain you will have a mixed bag. He will not be afraid and will take everyone out. I don't know if he has coached or captained any other teams in his life, be it his children's teams or something like that, but when a person is passionate about something, he usually does very well.”

Because Bradley is so in shape, as the 19th-ranked player in the world and who was left off the US team to Rome last year, Zak wondered if Schauffele and other players thought Bradley might be a player. playing captain.

Schauffele can't remember the last time that happened.

“Yesterday, when I found out, I thought this would be very interesting. This will be chaotic,” said Zak. “Now I woke up today thinking that this could be bad. It could be the most dangerous Ryder Cup ever. “

On the course, we joined James Colgan who, right off the plane, played The Renaissance Club last Tuesday with PGA Tour member Matt Wallace and DP World Tour member Todd Clements.

His card? GOLF multimedia wiz Darren Riehl. (Though Colgan, Riehl and their team ended up dead in the pro-am.)

It was a baptism of fire for Colgan's golf links, but Zak and Riehl got their rounds in a different style of UK layout: the Bruntsfield Short Hole Course, where green fees were free!

Dressed in hoodies and shorts, our team enjoyed the pitch and putt before heading to a nearby pub so Riehl could enjoy his first ever Tennents Lager, a Scottish delicacy.

Before calling it a day, Zak returned to North Berwick and teed off on the 18th hole of the namesake club's West Links, one of his favorite places in the world, he said.

For information on all that the GOLF team is doing in Scotland, check out the full playlist below — and stay tuned for more Seen & Heard throughout the week.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A native of Pennsylvania, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was the captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as the head coach. Jack is also *still* trying to stay competitive with the local novices. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a reporter/multimedia reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting weather. He can be reached at [email protected].