As Keegan Bradley stretched in the fitness trailer before his 10:35 a.m. tee time with Rory McIilory on Thursday, he had ESPN’s “Get Up” playing on TV. Sure enough, Bradley heard senior NFL insider Adam Schefter talking about him.
While golf is typically an unconventional sport for Schefter to talk about, it wasn’t on this day. That’s because he was preparing to make his TV golf reporter debut at the Travelers Championship. His task? Follow reigning Masters champ Rory McIlroy and Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain.
After McIlroy and Bradley both shot a six-under 64, tying them with Wyndham Clark for second place after the early wave of the opening round, both stars agreed it was “cool” that Schefter was on the call. However, their varying experiences with the NFL altered their perceptions.
“I'm not a huge football fan and didn't grow up with it, so it's probably lost on me a little bit,” said McIlory, a Northern Ireland native. “But obviously a lot of people thought it was really cool.”
“It was cool,” Bradley said. “... He's a nice guy, and he does a great job. I hope he does more.”
After the round concluded, Schefter did a live interview with Bradley, concluding his debut.
“Just hearing his voice is so iconic with football,” Bradley said. “I'd turn on the TV hoping to hear Patriot news, and he's the guy. That was really fun. It was a thrill to meet him and have him out there.”
While Schefter made headlines for taking on a new challenge, the real stars were two of golf’s brightest stars. And McIlory felt that way.
“Not really,” McIlory said when asked if he felt Schefter was the star of the show. “Obviously there was a few shouts for him out there, but no, there was definitely a lot more ‘Captain America’ and ‘USA’ chants out there, which is cool. It's cool for Keegan to be here, be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain and obviously get all that support.”
With ESPN located in nearby Bristol and the NFL in its offseason, it was an easy trip for Schefter to make. While appearing on the Pat McAfee show on Wednesday, Schefter said, "I do think that there is an opening in the golf space, and it does interest me.”