Breaking news. The debate is on. The PGA of America confirmed on Monday night that Keegan Bradley will be the captain of the American team at the Ryder Cup in New York next year.
The official announcement came earlier than expected, after several media outlets across the Atlantic hinted at the possibility of the Boston-based golfer being the chosen one.
The announcement is scheduled for Tuesday at noon, Eastern Standard Time, but the name was released early on the PGA of America’s social media after it was found that the name was already out.
With Tiger Woods out of the equation by his own decision, as he believed that in the current state of world golf, deeply involved in negotiations with the Saudis to try to reach an agreement, and the launch of the TGL next year, he would not have the time and energy to fully dedicate himself to such a demanding task as being the captain of the Ryder Cup, the range of possible candidates was not exactly wide. In theory, due to age and historical weight in American golf in recent years, it should be Phil Mickelson, but we already know that this is impossible today given the situation with LIV Golf.
Thus, several American media outlets advanced the name of Keegan Bradley, causing astonishment and quite a controversy. Keegan Bradley surprises firstly because he is an active player with real chances of qualifying for the event, but the surprise is even greater as he was a controversial discard in the last Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Italy. Keegan fought to qualify until the end and was on the verge of entering by points, but finally Zach Johnson opted for Justin Thomas, for his experience and better relationship with the rest of the team members. The opinion of the players weighed heavily here. One of the episodes of the second season of the Netflix series Full Swing perfectly captures what happened and Bradley’s huge disappointment when he received the call.
The choice of Keegan Bradley represents a brutal turn of events. It is well known on the other side of the Atlantic that he is not the most appreciated player by his peers, so this decision is inevitably viewed with surprise. On the other hand, it can be understood as a way to heal last year’s wound.
Certainly, if nothing else, Bradley has shown that he loves the Ryder Cup with an excessive passion, he has performed very well in this competition and conveys a significant competitive force. One of the hottest Ryder Cups from the fans’ point of view is expected and Bradley can act as the perfect injection engine to heat up the masses. He will not be a tempered captain. The big question is what the atmosphere will be like in that locker room. Perhaps the PGA of America has specifically sought someone to break the current dynamics of the American team, where it seemed that almost everything their stars wanted was done.
Remember that Europe already announced that Luke Donald would repeat as captain in New York.
