The United States threw away their home-course advantage.
That’s what Paul Azinger believes after the former Ryder Cup captain trashed Bethpage Black, which will host the bi-annual event this week, in an interview on Trey Wingo’s “Straight Facts Homie!” podcast.
Azinger said it will add an extra challenge for American captain Keegan Bradley.
“I feel like Keegan’s going to have to get these guys on a mission and on a mission quickly and single-minded to figure out how to fall in love with Bethpage Black,” Azinger said.
“I guarantee you they don’t love it either. Me and you don’t love it. They don’t love it. Europe doesn’t care what the course is. Our guys might.”
Azinger’s issue seems to be rooted in his personal distaste plus his belief that the players are not overly familiar with the famed Long Island public course.
Bethpage has hosted three major championships this century — the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2009 and the PGA Championship in 2019.
“Nope, not at all. We don’t know the course,” Azinger said in comments transcribed by Golf.com. “I think one of the biggest mistakes that the American Ryder Cup team always seems to make, or the PGA of America, is they go to courses that we’re not familiar with.”
Half of the U.S. Ryder Cup team did play in the 2019 PGA Championship with Patrick Cantlay finishing in third, Xander Schauffele 16th, Justin Thomas 23rd, Sam Burns 29th, J.J. Spaun 54th and Bryson DeChambeau missing the cut.
Brooks Koepka, who won in 2019, has largely struggled this season on LIV Golf and in the majors he’s participated in. Koepka was not up for consideration for one of Bradley’s captain choices.
Bradley, who chose not to be a playing captain despite an impressive season, played the course often as he starred for St. John’s golf team.
Cameron Young, a Westchester native, has also spoken fondly of the course.
The outspoken Azinger was the captain of the 2008 Ryder Cup team that dominated the Europeans 16 1/2-11 1/2 at Valhalla in Louisville.
Azinger missed the cut at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage.
“I’m used to playing fairly flat courses in my lifetime,” Azinger told The Post’s Steve Serby. “A lot of downhill tee shots, awkward angles and then uphill second shots. At the (2002) U.S. Open setting, the rain that week was substantial and it really neutralized us the first day. I didn’t enjoy it, I thought it was really too hard, and Tiger [Woods] ended up winning it that year.
“But it’s the same for all the players. Does it give either team an advantage? I don’t know. I think it’s a golf course where you have to be a fairly powerful player, and I feel like both teams are bringing some real strong players in there. Look at Europe, if you look at that team, they are physically just a powerful team, they’re gonna launch it.”