The four-pound, 17-inch-tall Ryder Cup trophy shined in gold atop the dais in the interview room at Bethpage Black on Monday afternoon.

To the left of the trophy sat Luke Donald, amid a rare but deeply appreciated second stint as Team Europe’s captain.

To his right was Keegan Bradley , the first-time U.S. captain who opted not to play despite currently being the No. 13 player in the world.

The 45th Ryder Cup, which begins Friday morning at the Farmingdale course, will have its heated moments. But on Monday, the 25-minute joint news conference was filled with a palpable sense of mutual admiration.

“As far as I'm concerned, he's one of the greatest European captains ever,” Bradley said.

Said Donald: “I see a lot of similarities between us, but there's definitely a deep respect amo

See Full Page