After finishing tied for 39th at the Travelers Championship three weeks ago, Keegan Bradley, his two young children and two women, got in his car and drove the three hours home. The defending Travelers champion was exhausted after three grueling weeks that included the U.S. Open.
This, combined with the responsibilities of raising a child, had Bradley exhausted. All he wanted was to relax at home and spend time with his wife, Jillian, and his kids. So later that night, after dinner and finally getting the kids to bed, he sat down and let go of the stresses of the past month.
Then, around 8 p.m., he received calls from Zach Johnson, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and PGA of America president John Lindert.
It would change his life.
As Waugh and Lindert listened, Johnson broke the shocking news: Keegan Bradley, not Tiger Woods, Fred Couples or Stewart Cink, would be U.S. Ryder Cup captain at Bethpage Black in 2025.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be so surprised again in my life. I had no idea… It was a total shock,” Bradley said Tuesday.
“It took a while for it to sink in. Some of the people who weren’t selected didn’t quite make it. I have so much respect for those who have been in this position before me and those who deserve this position, so it was a heavy thought and a heavy moment.”
Of course, this is a full-circle moment for Johnson and Bradley. Last August, Johnson called Bradley to tell him he hadn’t been selected for the 2023 Ryder Cup team. Netflix’s Full Swing The series filmed the heartbreaking moment live and aired it in one of its episodes, but despite the absence of a live broadcast of Bradley and his wife Gillian in disbelief, golf fans criticised Johnson for leaving the 2011 PGA Championship winner out of his team.
“It’s a huge decision and I don’t think it’s ever going to be dictated by how it’s portrayed on TV,” Bradley said when asked if he thought his Netflix appearance had influenced him.
“I believe the Ryder Cup Committee has a very serious job to make the best decisions for their team, particularly with the tournament being held in Bethpage, New York, USA. I cannot imagine that they would make a decision based on how Netflix portrayed me during filming. I am very grateful for the Ryder Cup’s decision and would be very surprised if that was what influenced their decision.”
What led to the PGA’s decision was Bradley’s extraordinary passion for the tournament. No one bleeds the red, white and blue more than Bradley, who said he thinks about the Ryder Cup “every waking moment.”
But he’s been having trouble sleeping lately and his obsession with the Ryder Cup has only intensified. With the Ryder Cup about 14 months away, Bradley admitted he’s had a lot of sleepless nights over the past two weeks as he’s already planning out all sorts of scenarios. And there will no doubt be more insomnia in the meantime.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
