Bethpage staffer blasts Justin Thomas: “ZERO conversation… this is at the fault of Keegan”

A Bethpage Black turf staffer who worked the 2025 Ryder Cup has delivered a scathing rebuttal to Justin Thomas’ claims about slow greens, insisting the U.S. captain Keegan Bradley never communicated with the grounds team during the contest.

The turf worker has also gone further by accusing Team USA of failing to play the necessary practice rounds that would have exposed any issues well before the matches began.

The Bethpage staffer’s comments, published by X user @Top100Rick, directly contradict Thomas’ suggestion that American players were forrced into disputes with the greens crew over surface speeds that were far slower than Bradley had requested.

Speaking on the No Laying Up podcast earlier this week, Thomas alleged the Bethpage Black greens were not close to the pace Bradley had demanded and claimed the crew pushed back despite clear evidence the surfaces were playing too slow.

“I don't know why they [the greens] weren't at all what Keegan had asked for,” said Thomas. 

“I watched them argue with us that they were 13s [on Stimpmeter]. It's like, 'guys, we play golf every week... these greens are slow, speed them up.’”

Thomas called the situation “bizarre”, saying a home Ryder Cup should bring control and comfort, not debates with the grounds team.

Europe capitalised on the sluggish conditions, racing to an 11.5–4.5 lead before the U.S. finally roared to life on Sunday — once the greens sped up — winning the final singles session 8.5–3.5 but still falling 15–13.

Bethpage staffer: “Data is data, not an opinion… this is at the fault of Keegan”

Within 24 hours of JT's shock comments being published, a Bethpage turf crew member has hit back forcefully, rejecting Thomas’ claims and placing full responsibility squarely on Bradley’s shoulders.

“They can argue with numbers all they want but these are concrete, collected numbers that cannot be argued with. Data is data, not an opinion. Player perception is an opinion,” the turf staffer told @Top100Rick. 

The Bethpage staffer then made the most striking allegation of all. 

“There was ZERO conversation between captains and the grounds crew during tournament week, and that is at the fault of Keegan. We would have welcomed him with open arms any day or time (we were there 24/7) and only spoke with him directly ONCE - weeks before the event.”

According to the worker, any concerns about green speed should have been addressed long before the first tee shot — if the U.S. had properly prepared.

“If there was a problem, it should have come from him in practice rounds (that they failed to play) when they would have realized they didn't like the speed.”

The staffer finished with an uncompromising assessment of the American response.

“They still lost, and they still can't accept it. Two months later and the excuses keep rolling. The grounds crew wanted to win more than any player on that American team. Quite frankly, it meant more to the Bethpage staff and the state of New York than anyone else. Learn to practice and compete as a team, or JT will continue to scrap together excuses in 2026.”

Check out the full post below: 

The turf staffer’s comments reinforce a growing picture of disjointed U.S. preparation, echoing reports that Europe spent far more time learning Bethpage Black before the event, while American players arrived with limited course familiarity and little cohesion.

With Bradley already under scrutiny for pairings and planning, this latest testimony deepens the narrative that Team USA’s problems ran far deeper than green speeds.

Watch JT's comments below: