Keegan Bradley began the season with three straight top 15 finishes. We have created a playful discussion about the possibility of being the US captain of the 2025 Ryder Cup, about the possibility of playing a dual role as a team player. After finishing in the top five at Bay Hill, Bradley’s performance prospects became even more interesting, and the discussion became one of the main topics as the golf season reached its final stretch, following the top ten at the PGA Championship and Memorial Tournament.
With Americans preparing to host the Ryder Cup at Beth Page Black in Farmingdale, New York, for US teams that aren’t particularly deep for talent to play at the top of the game, filling the 12-man roster will always lead to some difficult decisions for Bradley.
After winning the Travelers Championship for Sunday’s dramatic fashion, choosing yourself on the 12-man roster should no longer be a decision to highlight Bradley.
As hard-described on Netflix’s “full swing,” he was famously handed over by then-captain Zack Johnson for the 2023 Ryder Cup team – despite finishing that season 11 in the rankings, the 39-year-old Bradley was a surprising choice to command the 2025 team, serving as a competitive player to lead the 2025 team.
Originally, Tiger Woods was thought to be captain in 2025, but when the shocking announcement was made, Bradley insisted that the captain would prioritize the team. He only plays if he qualifies for top six points, so that he does not distract himself from position responsibility or prioritizes himself over other players who are fighting for opportunities.
However, following Bradley’s victory in travellers, he has now moved up to ninth in the US Ryder Cup standings. He is also ranked seventh in the official world golf rankings ahead of multiple players who will be automatic qualifying for international teams.
The rankings of the US Ryder Cup as of June 23rd
1 | Scotty Schaeffler (Q) | 27,536.93 |
2 | Xander Schauffele | 12,472.70 |
3 | JJ Spaun | 12,271.85 |
4 | Russell Henry | 11,166.85 |
5 | Bryson Deccanbeau | 10,318.00 |
6 | Justin Thomas | 9,997.69 |
7 | Collin Morikawa | 9,482.01 |
8 | Ben Griffin | 8,432.91 |
9 | Keegan Bradley | 7,845.22 |
10 | Harris English | 7,666.52 |
11 | Maverick McNerry | 7,126.46 |
12 | Brian Herman | 6,521.26 |
He has yet to achieve automatic qualifying status, but given his level of play and the fundamental interest of fans, Bradley has not chosen himself as his captain’s pick will be a greater distraction than not playing his role as a play captain in the Ryder Cup this fall.
Assume that the ranking is static at the end of the BMW Championship. Morikawa and Griffin will certainly be locked as captain picks, but that leaves four spots in the air, holding a 2025 resume than Bradley’s after a victory in Connecticut.
Playing better than two years ago while writing the best golf of his entire professional career, Bradley has the same number of wins as Herman, English and Novak (winning in team events with Griffin) in a top-10 finish than all three men. McNealy has one top-10 finish over Bradley, but no wins. Patrick Cantray, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth’s Patrick Cantray, Patrick Cantray, Patrick Cantray, and even bigger names on rankings that have not achieved this season as much as Bradley, and beyond Deccanbeau, no other LIV golfers have majored enough to guarantee their spot. (Patrick Reed will stand as the biggest problem at this point.)
Beyond qualifications, Bradley is an optics – as a player who gives Americans the best chance to win. There is no scenario to avoid Bradley being the main topic of conversation to Bethpage Black.
If he were to play it, it was historic. How he plays while juggling dual role responsibilities, and how often he sends himself to play, makes for an enchanting theatre. If he doesn’t play and the Americans lose in the soil of their homes, he will be criticized forever.
Bradley can somewhat compartmentate some of these tough decisions through his assistant captain. Adding a significant number to his staff was part of Bradley’s plan from the start.
“When they called me and said I was the captain of the Ryder Cup, he shared that the first thing they said was, “You want to be the first play captain since Arnold Palmer in 1962.” “And my mind was spinning so I didn’t know what they were talking about, but they knew that was a possibility and that was what I was going to get things done for.
“I’m always trying to be the best I can and now I feel like I’m playing the best golf of my career. I’m not sure if I thought I would be the seventh in the world a year ago, but I was sure I would compete in the tournament.”
That’s not to say that playing doesn’t lead to increased challenges or pressure, but if Bradley continues to play at this level throughout the fall, it’s almost certainly a distraction if he plays rather than choosing not to.
Every time the US drops points in a match that includes a captain’s pick, the question is whether the outcome will be different if Bradley is constantly riding the camera on him instead of riding in a golf cart.
Perhaps something dramatic will happen over the next two months that will help Bradley make a decision before the lineup is locked on August 17th. With JJSpaun’s victory, the Open secured him an automatic qualification spot. It could happen again in the open, and if Bradley drops from his current pace, it will likely become a debate as that deadline approaches.
For now, it’s hard to imagine Bradley – all metrics, obviously one of the 12 American players this season, but not one of the 12 best options for the US team. Turning off a play would have long been seen as a selfless choice, but somewhat ironically, it could now be selfish.
