Owens Mills, Maryland – Keegan Bradley’s impending decision on whether to choose himself as one of the 12 members of the US Ryder Cup team stands as one of the most important storylines to take part in the 2025 BMW Championship. Given that Bradley is in a rare position as the 39-year-old captain who remains one of his country’s best players, there was no shortage of peers asked to weigh on that looming call.
Bradley was able to become the first captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, and recently he received vocal support for that purpose from Ricky Fowler and Patrick Cantray. While Americans seem to be behind Bradley, European star Rory McIlroy has a different perspective on whether it can be done effectively.
McIlroy was asked this week if he had any desire to perform as a play captain at some point in his career. He stated that such a concept had come to him before, but he immediately refused to discuss the idea.
“No, I was asked to do it and I refused it,” McIlroy said. “The idea that I was the captain coming straight away came and I shot it off right away.”
When asked why, McIlroy simply replied: “Because I don’t think you can do it.”
McIlroy explained that to perform in double roles, he must be placed on a single person’s plate during important events.
“I think the commitment that the captain has week is thinking about the extra media the captain has to do. The captain thinks about the extra meetings that involve the vice captain, the American PGA.
“If I had said that 20 years ago, I would say, ‘Yeah, that was probably possible,’ but now I think it’s going to be a very difficult position to see how big the spectacle and everything is in the line of the Ryder Cup.
“The captain will not be taking part in the course all day after that, so in reality, the captain will be able to play one session on Saturday,” McIlroy added. “If he’s playing well, is there a player who has the flexibility to go twice? There’s a lot of it.
The latter point is particularly appealing as the captain either removes the versatility of the roster by making it available in just three of the five sessions, or there is a risk of seeing any of the teams all day. The challenge for Americans and Bradley this year is that, as McIlroy pointed out, Bradley put together a ridiculous season and plays on a team based on his production on the course.
“I think he’s one of the best 12 players right now,” McIlroy said. “That’s why everyone is very interested and it’s a very convincing case, and I’m just as interested as everyone else.
McIlroy is a smart golfer and there are no strangers to creating competition for international teams. There is no doubt that he will have the opportunity to provide honest insight into the concept of a play captain while simultaneously combining a bit of inconsistency on the other side entering Beth Page Black’s 2025 Ryder Cup.
The Europeans are about to become the first team to win the Road Ryder Cup as they took off the miracle in Medina in 2012. Bradley’s situation offers an incredible opportunity for Rory to stir up a six-week pot with the Americans.
