Sky Sports issued an on-air apology during their coverage of The Open after Keegan Bradley let slip an F-bomb on Friday morning. The 40-year-old American was overheard vocalising his frustrations after missing a bogey putt on the first hole of his second round at Royal Birkdale.
Bradley's Struggles on the Course
Bradley, who had just two bogeys during Thursday's play, managed to match that total with a double-bogey on the par-four after having his putt lip out. The American was understandably not best pleased by that outcome and could not help but turn around in disgust before ultimately airing his grievances.
Commentator's Apology
Commentating on Bradley's putt just after 8:15am, Tim Barter said: "Keegan Bradley, Ryder Cup captain for the Americans last time, is having his problems. Sorry if you heard some inappropriate language there. That is not the start he was looking for, stating the bloomin' obvious."
Nick Dougherty added: "Shows you how psychological the game is. He played beautifully last year. The Ryder Cup has had an effect on his own personal performance, the aftermath of it, such was the heartbreak of it."
Ryder Cup Impact
Barter agreed with his fellow commentator, concluding: "The Ryder Cup's just been cruel to him his whole career. There's no one in America who loves it more than he, and he's had nothing but disappointment as a player, and now as a captain."
In the mixed zone following his opening round, Bradley was asked about his current form. The American replied: "Not that great, but it's been a challenging year. Coming off of last year and the Ryder Cup and everything, just trying to get back to normal. I'm starting to feel better."
Playoff Pressure
Bradley currently sits 75th in the FedEx Cup rankings—only the top 70 secure qualification for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Recognising that his place in the playoff tournaments is far from guaranteed, he added: "It's annoying, but in a weird, like demented way, it's kind of fun that I have to go out and try to do it."
Bradley went on: "It's so tough coming off these Ryder Cups. Like, I'm in, again, a unique position of a person that's going back out and supposed to be a premier, top player trying to win tournaments and trying to navigate that, but we're getting there."
