Keegan Bradley’s Surprising Captain’s Picks for 2025 Ryder Cup
In a surprising turn of events, Keegan Bradley made headlines with his decision regarding the 2025 US Ryder Cup team. Instead of selecting himself as one of the six captain’s picks, he opted for a team-focused approach.
Bradley, who is 39 years old, is the captain of the team—an honor granted to him by the American PGA about 13 months ago. Interestingly, he seemed to participate in the announcement of the picks as a captain rather than a player.
Here’s a list of his captain’s picks:
- Justin Thomas: He ranks seventh on the points list and will play in his third Ryder Cup.
- Colin Morikawa: Finished eighth on the points list; he has a record of 3-0-1 in home matches in 2021 but was 1-3 in Rome in 2023.
- Ben Griffin: Ranked ninth, he’ll make his Ryder Cup debut this year.
- Cameron Young: At 14th on the points list, he’s set to play in his first Ryder Cup. The Westchester local is among the hottest players, having won the Windham event not long ago and finishing strong in the Tour Championship.
- Patrick Cantlay: He’s 15th but recently boosted his position with a T-2 finish at the Tour Championship, where he also paired well with Xander Schauffele.
- Sam Burns: Although 16th on the points list, he’s an impressive putter with strong performances recently in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
These six players will join six others who qualified based on their points, including notable names like Scotty Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.
If Bradley had chosen to play, he would have been the first American player-captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. In reflecting on his choice, Bradley, who has participated in two Ryder Cups, described it as one of the toughest decisions of his life. He emphasized that despite his good form this season, putting the team first was paramount.
During the year, he played 21 PGA Tour events, winning the Travelers Championship and securing several top 10 finishes. His exclusion from the 2023 team, despite being ranked 11th, caused quite a stir.
In interviews, including moments shared from the Netflix series “Full Swing,” he expressed that he felt deserving of a spot based on merit. “It’s definitely going to spark debate,” he noted of his decision not to pick himself, adding that ultimately, winning is what matters most.
