ATLANTA — Keegan Bradley said Friday that his six captain picks have “pretty good ideas” for the Ryder Cup. What is still decided is whether one of those picks will become him.
He has not been the captain of the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963. There was no reason except that 39-year-old Bradley was No. 13 in the world. Last year, only Scotty Schaeffler won more PGA Tours than Bradley.
“We promise to make the best decision for our team. Either way, it’s going to be controversial,” Bradley said at the Tour Championships on Friday.
“I’m ready for that,” he said. “I know this is the biggest decision of my life.”
Bradley will host dinner for the six automatic qualifiers of the US team, and will likely be selected, inviting Justin Thomas and Colin Morakawa (7 and 8).
It leaves four spots from groups that may or may not include Bradley.
He was supported by top players even before winning the Travelers Championship. Bradley said it makes sense, but when you decide how to fill out the assistant captain and the 12-person team, you won’t count anything.
But even inside the ropes wear the captain, especially as they get closer. He will fly to the PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas on Tuesday and announce the six captain’s picks on Wednesday.
He finished Friday at 6 under 134 with a 14th tie on the 30-man field in Eastlake, competing for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million award. When Bradley saw the leaderboard, he said that what caught his attention was how Americans play. He looks at the bunker and the thrust-in pin. He thinks about pairing and speech.
“That’s very difficult,” he said. “I’m really struggling right now playing with my captain.”
Bradley said his picks will not be fully shaped by the Tour Championship, but that could disrupt the plan. He called the Ryder Cup team a two-year process, but no results from a week or round.
He was appointed in July 2024, and the concept of a chance to play as captain quickly emerged. Bradley said at the time he would only consider playing if he qualified. But that was before he won the FedEx Cup playoff event in Denver last August and won the signature event at the Travelers Championship in June.
He was not surprised that this decision was ahead of him now.
“To be honest, I still feel like I’m one of the best players in the world,” he said. “I thought the chances of completely falling out of the picture would probably be pretty slim, and we have been prepared for this ever since.
But he’s the right thing in that thickness, a decision that remains undisappearing regardless of the six picks he announced Wednesday. The only way to avoid a second guess is for the Americans to win.
“No matter what decision I make, I’m going to be defined by this decision,” Bradley said. “It doesn’t matter what decision you make if you win.”
