Xander Schauffele told he's not getting special Ryder Cup treatment: "Listen..."
Keegan Bradley has offered his take on one of Xander Schauffele's biggest grumbles about Ryder Cup week.
Keegan Bradley appeared to take a dim view of Xander Schauffele's biggest Ryder Cup complaint.
Cast your mind back to July and the 2011 PGA Championship winner was named as the surprise successor to Zach Johnson.
Schauffele, unsurprisingly, was asked for his opinion on what Bradley would bring to the role and what he could do better after defeat in Rome.
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Johnson's team faced accusations they did not prepare properly and there were also unsubstantiated reports of disharmony among the ranks.
Schauffele dismissed reports the group was split but he did say that the team should head to Bethpage Black a bit earlier next September.
"I think that will make a big difference," he said of that subject.
But he also believes that some of the obligations that come with being a Ryder Cup player are unnecessary and may hinder performance.
What did Xander Schauffele say?
Before the Scottish Open, Schauffele explained that having to get dressed up for multiple team dinners can be particularly burdensome.
In other words, he just wants to prepare for battle.
"I would be the first guy to admit that I need to flee quickly," Schauffele said.
"It just seems like it's all these little – even like team dinners or things of that nature, we can have them sort of quick and inside versus having to go out, dress up and all those things.
"It's just small things. I think there's two or three dinners that we have to go to that are kind of mandatory-ish, and I think if we cut it down to one or two versus three that would be a really big deal."
Bradley was asked about Schauffele's comments as part of a Ryder Cup news conference in New York on Tuesday.
Perhaps Schauffele has already got his answer about what he is to expect next September.
"Listen, you come into a Ryder Cup and you know you have a lot of obligations," Bradley, 38, said.
"You're going to have to do things that you wouldn't normally do at a major week that is part of the deal."
He added: "Xander is a leader of the U.S. Team. He is a guy that everyone on the team looks up to, including their captain.
"He's just an unbelievably person and a critical part of our team. I think when he says that, he's just trying to look out for his other teammates.
"He's nothing but amazing in the team room and with the players."
It's worth noting that Schauffele's teammate, Patrick Cantlay, was excused from the welcome dinner by Johnson at Marco Simone.
And it's also worth bearing in mind that Schauffele and Cantlay did not attend the scouting trip to the course two weeks prior to the contest.
Although it was later revealed Schauffele was in a legal dispute with the PGA of America.
Elsewhere, Bradley also gave his opinion on whether there is a remote chance Phil Mickelson will play any role at Bethpage.
According to Bradley, being a vice captain is nowhere on his radar.
Bradley also did not rule out combining the captaincy with a playing role.
Read more about that here.
