Two years in the past, Keegan Bradley was devastated when then-U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson left him off the 2023 workforce in favor of Justin Thomas as a captain’s decide.
In 2024, Bradley, now 39, was chosen by the PGA of America to steer the U.S. workforce for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black in New York — the youngest American captain since Arnold Palmer was a enjoying captain in 1963.
However will Bradley be a enjoying captain like Palmer? That is a choice solely he could make.
After successful the Vacationers Championship on Sunday, Bradley has moved to No. 9 within the Ryder Cup standings and a career-best No. 7 within the Official World Golf Rating. His two PGA Tour wins prior to now yr are greater than any American besides Scottie Scheffler.
“This adjustments the story a bit of bit,” Bradley mentioned Sunday about his Ryder Cup position. “I by no means would have considered enjoying if I hadn’t received. This positively opens the door to play. I do not know if I’ll do it or not, however I definitely should take a fairly onerous have a look at what’s finest for the workforce.”
The highest six gamers within the factors standings after the BMW Championship on Aug. 17 will robotically make the workforce; Bradley will even make six captain’s decisions. Scheffler, the world No. 1, is adopted by two-time main winner Xander Schauffele and U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun are the clear high three at this level, with Russell Hensley, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas rounding out the present high six.
Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Bradley, Harris English, Maverick McNealy and Brian Harman are the subsequent six within the factors race by Sunday.
Bradley, who’s from New England and performed faculty golf at St. John’s, final performed within the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland in 2014. He made his Ryder Cup debut at Medinah in 2012.
The considered really enjoying at Bethpage Black in September hadn’t actually crossed his thoughts earlier this season, however as his recreation has surged, he mentioned it isn’t out of the realm of risk.
“I by no means actually deliberate on enjoying. I actually wished to simply be the captain,” Bradley mentioned previous to the Vacationers final week. “I actually felt strongly about that. I wish to serve the blokes. They requested me to do a job. I wish to do it to one of the best of my skills.
“Now, with the superb vice captains that I’ve, and I’ve a greater perspective of enjoying within the Presidents Cup and being round a variety of the blokes, I really feel much more snug if I went that route.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
