FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Asked what he might have done differently in a Ryder Cup that got away early, before getting really close late, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley focused on the way he set up the course at Bethpage Black.If only the list stopped there. In searching for answers for a 15-13 loss that turned out to be much closer than anyone expected, it was all the decisions Bradley made — not just one of them — that will fall under the microscope when the post-mortem on Sunday’s loss is conducted.Was it not choosing himself to play on the team — a decision that consumed the golf world once he started playing well late last year?Or his insistence on sticking with a plan that paired Harris English and Collin Morikawa not once, but twice, then putting English’s name in the envelope, forcing him to sit out Sunday when Viktor Hovland pulled out with an injury?Or was it, in fact, the culprit he brought up more than once after America’s first loss on home turf since 2012 — his decision to cut the rough at Bethpage Black, turning it into something that looks more like a regular tour stop instead of one of the brawniest tests in golf? “I wish I could have some of those decisions back,” Bradley said. “I definitely feel I made a few mistakes there, but it’s tough to tell that it’s going to rain before the Ryder Cup.”The rain softened the course and slowed the greens, and tournament organizers allowed preferred lies — a no-no at the majors — throughout the entire weekend. It had the effect of making the course easier. The Europeans adjusted well. Shane Lowry’s six-foot putt to secure the cup looked like a lot of what happened over three days at Bethpage. Europe made them. America missed them.It was no accident. European captain Luke Donald did his research and saw that putting inside of six feet at Bethpage made a bigger difference than at most courses. So, that became a focus of their practice in the leadup to the tournament. There were other things Donald did to help his …
