Keegan Bradley sat heartbroken on the arm of a couch after news broke that he would not be one of captain Zach Johnson’s choices for the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team.
“Full Swing,” a Netflix documentary series that chronicles Johnson’s decision and focuses primarily on Bradley vs. Justin Thomas, had cameras positioned to capture the moment Bradley received the shocking news.
“I get it. I wish you all the best and I hope you go out there and win a championship,” Bradley told Johnson, comforted by his wife, Jillian.
Bradley, who was recently named captain for the 2025 team, was then seen cheering on the USA from his couch, but the team needed more cheering following their heavy loss to Europe.
Johnson faced much criticism for the U.S.’ performance, which lost its first four games of the tournament and never seriously rebounded in a 16 1/2-11 1/2 defeat in Rome.
Bradley, who won two tournaments last year and played better golf than Thomas over the summer, was the one to be pitied.
“I just hope one day I win the Ryder Cup and I can open that box and just have that peace of mind because I think about the Ryder Cup every second of every day,” Bradley said on Full Swing.
And now he had his chance.
Not as a player, but as captain of the U.S. national team after the PGA of America selected him to lead the team at Bethpage in 2025.
This came after Tiger Woods turned down the opportunity, which came as a shock to some as the fiery Bradley is not considered part of golf’s inner circle, one of the reasons he believed he was overtaken by Johnson.
“I thought I had a really good year with two wins against some elite players in Hartford,” Bradley told Golf Channel after the Ryder Cup roster was finalized last summer.
“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished… [Justin Thomas] “I’m a generational talent. … I’ve always been an outsider to the sport, but I’ve tried to get closer to the players I thought would be on the team. … I feel like going forward I should automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup.”
Bradley is expected to be formally confirmed at a news conference in Manhattan at noon Tuesday.
