One of the big questions about the personal selections of the US captain Keegan Bradley for next month’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was whether he would choose himself as both the team leader and a player. However, he has ultimately decided to focus on the role he was appointed to over a year ago, even though personally, it’s tough not to compete.
“The decision that I wouldn’t play was made some time ago,” Bradley revealed today at the press conference where he announced the names of the six players completing his team. “There was a moment this season when I was playing, but all these guys stepped up and earned their spot on this team,” he added when confirming those selected to join Scheffler, Spaun, Schauffele, Henley, English, and DeChambeau.
Two years ago, Keegan suffered a major setback by not being one of those chosen to play in the Ryder Cup in Rome. However, somewhat surprisingly, he was promoted to team captain in July 2024. At 39 years old, he said from day one that he would only be part of the team as a player, in addition to being captain, if he finished within the top six in the rankings, with automatic access. But after winning the Travelers Championship, he began to soften his stance…
Bradley completa el equipo USA para la Ryder con sus seis elecciones (y él no es una)
Although his level dropped a bit in the last two months, he achieved a more than commendable tied seventh place in last week’s TOUR Championship, the finale of the FedEx Cup of the PGA Tour. And it was there, when he assured he would do what was best for the team, that it became evident he would not choose himself despite describing his 2025 season, amidst all the logical distractions of the captain’s role, as the season he feels “most proud of.”
“It broke my heart not to be able to play,” he explained. “You work your whole life to be part of these teams. But I was chosen to be captain, and my goal is to be the best captain possible. This is the best way I came up with to do it,” he said. And aware of what it means to be left out of the chosen ones, he was the one, “disappointed and depressed,” to call the golfers on Monday who ultimately would not have a place on the team.
Now, having overcome this ordeal, he focuses on his task: “You quickly realise that being a captain in the Ryder Cup is a dream. I don’t care how it turns out as long as we win on Sunday.” Among his selections, Justin Thomas, “the heart of our team, a guy born to play the Ryder, especially at Bethpage Black“, Morikawa, with great qualities for the foursomes, Griffin, one of the revelations of the year with two wins and 10 top-15 finishes in his last 12 tournaments, Cantlay, second tied at East Lake and with a 15-6-1 record in the Ryder, Burns, the best putter on the circuit, and Young, a rookie with great power and a good track record on the course hosting the Ryder.
