There hasn’t been a group that has benefited from the Ryder Cup being played in New York at Bethpage Black with Keegan Bradley as the captain of Team USA more than the St. John’s golf programs.
After attending multiple events leading up to the Ryder Cup, the ultimate experience for the Red Storm’s men’s and women’s golf teams will come on Friday morning when they are sitting on the first tee box as guests of Bradley.
There will be over 100 St. John’s golf alumni in attendance during the Ryder Cup through tickets donated by Bradley, in addition to his Red Storm teammates that have remained by his side for the last year and a half of his captaincy.
The experience will be unique for everyone linked to St. John’s, including men’s head coach Phil Wildermuth who has never attended a Ryder Cup and women’s head coach Ambry Bishop-Santillo who has attended one Ryder Cup, but it was on European soil.
“It’s a one in a lifetime experience,” Bishop-Santillo told Storm The Paint on Tuesday. “And it’s super special that we get to be on the first tee.”
The involvement and promotion of St. John’s leading up to the Ryder Cup has only elevated its golf program in the eyes of recruits, even with Bradley opting not to be a playing captain.
“Some of our guys, like Keegan, weren’t necessarily recruited heavily out of high school, but St. John’s ends up offering a scholarship and you come here, and you come here with a little bit of an edge to prove something,” Wildermuth explained.
“You can see, just talking to him, and being around him, you feel that edge but at the same time he’s remained a gentleman. What a great example for the boys.”
Wildermuth added that he typically focuses on the Northeast region for recruiting but since Bradley’s appointment as the USA Ryder Cup captain, and the rise of the men’s basketball program under Rick Pitino, recruits from all over the country are reaching out to him to try and play golf at St. John’s.
“This is great. This is what I had hoped for…[Recruits] knowing we are on the first tee at the Ryder Cup, that’s going to help things even more.”
But there was a time when Keegan Bradley wasn’t as welcoming to his alma mater after the dismissal of Frank Darby, his head coach at St. John’s. However, Wildermuth’s connection with Darby and the return of Ed Kull as the school’s Director of Athletics helped smooth things over quickly.
Phil Wildermuth wasn't able to connect with Bradley prior to St. John’s first tournament after he was named head coach, but he received a congratulations text message from an unknown number after the Johnnies shot 32-under par in the event.
It was from Bradley, who was following from a distance, and is instantly brought back to his St. John's career every time he sees the current team.
“There’s not a better ambassador; there’s not a better face of St. John’s University,” Kull said in an exclusive interview to Storm The Paint.
“This is a huge marketing opportunity for our institution. To use brand building for us where the entire global nation is learning about our university, not just the tri-state area or New York City, and you can’t buy that marking value. We are extremely lucky and proud to be associated with this young man and what he represents not only to St. John’s University but our country.”
Now, Keegan Bradley will greet the Johnnies on the first tee before the event begins and hope to use that edge he created at St. John's to win back the Ryder Cup for the United States of America in front of his rabid, passionate, and loyal New York fans.
“He’s totally a blue collar, hard hat, and lunch pail to work every day guy playing golf," Kull added.
"That’s who we are university, that’s who we are as an institution. That’s our demographic, that’s the kids that we service here…He’s an inspiration not only to our golf team, he’s an inspiration to every student on this campus, he’s an inspiration to every alum in this area.”