Tour confidential: Will Keegan Bradley get another Ryder Cup chance?

Join us every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week we discuss Keegan Bradley’s future in the Ryder Cup, the future of the PGA Tour in Hawaii, Yani Tseng’s drought-stricken victory and more.

The PGA Tour canceled the season-opening Sentry at Kapalua in Hawaii, citing course conditions due to water restrictions on Maui and infrastructure complications associated with hosting a tournament on a remote island. Our Dylan Dethier explained why this may not be good news for the future prospects of pro golf in Hawaii. Do you agree? Should the Tour continue its two-week January run in the future?

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Humpback whales breaching in the background have been a feature of January golf for so long that it’s hard to imagine the Tour without them. I hope Kapalua stays on the list. But I thought Dylan made a compelling case for concern. As difficult as it may have been to bring the tournament infrastructure to Maui, it’s been even harder to bring Rory McIlroy there, which is just another permutation of the same old challenge: How to get the best players to compete against each other in an era of fragmentation and excessive individual player power? The fact that the event has such a dedicated sponsor in Sentry and such deep roots in a distinctive location in Maui makes me think it will survive. But a shakeup wouldn’t come as a total shock. How’s that for a hedge?

James Colgan, News and Features Editor (@jamescolgan26): They should! If only because the PGA Tour’s ability to showcase great events on great golf courses in unique and beautiful places is a surefire path to its continued relevance. And right now, there aren’t too many places other than Hawaii that fit that bill.

Dylan Dethier, senior writer: For the record, my understanding is that this is all still up in the air – I don’t think it’s been decided for sure one way or the other. Personally, I think Kapalua is such an epic location and Hawaii such a special place that the idea of ​​leaving the Tour repulses me. But if you search [winces at word I’m about to type] efficiencyor if you were hunting profit maximizationa relatively small local market with limited financial benefits and numerous logistical challenges would come under significant scrutiny. But when the Tour leaves, they lose some character in the process.

Zephyr Melton, associate game improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): I can’t claim to be an expert on the ins and outs of PGA Tour scheduling, but I would hazard a guess that Sentry taking a break won’t bode well for the event in the long run. If the tournament dates come and go in January and the event isn’t really missed, who’s to say the change won’t become permanent? The future could be bleak for the historic tournament.

Keegan Bradley, in his first comments since the US team’s Ryder Cup loss, opened up about the “brutal” experience at Bethpage, saying he would “love to play another one” before admitting: “I don’t know if I’ll get the chance.” Do you think Bradley has a better chance of being in Ireland in 2027 as a player or second stint as captain?

Feeling: Neither. Maybe as Tiger Woods’ assistant captain? Bradley poured his heart into his captaincy and I’m sure he would do the same again, but passion for the event is not a sufficient qualification. He did mediocre work. Why hire him again? Whatever happens, the fact that we’re still discussing these two years is yet another example of America’s gift for overthinking the Ryder Cup.

Colgan: I think he has a better chance of arriving as a player, but I don’t rate his chances or are very good. A vice-captaincy feels much more aligned.

Dethier: O you of little faith! We trust Keegan. One of the most passionate people in golf can parlay another dose of Ryder Cup frustration into a two-year triple-down to form this team. He’s never really been a links golfer, but Adare Manor isn’t a links golfer. All good.

Melton: He can try to qualify for the team, but I think (hope) his days as captain are behind him. Turns out, being obsessed with the Ryder Cup doesn’t automatically make someone a good captain.

YouTube stars Good Good Golf made two splashy announcementsnts last week: it will serve as the title sponsor for a new PGA Tour event in Texas, and the group will also partner with Golf Channel to produce a new edition of the long-standing reality TV show “The Big Break.” Which news piques your interest more?

Feeling: It’s hard for me to get too excited about who may or may not be sponsoring a tournament, although this news certainly underlines the broader ongoing cultural shift in golf. I’m more interested in watching the reboot of “The Big Break.” Faster I would think, since attention spans have not lengthened. And probably even grosser, given the nature of everything these days.

Colgan: The first. It costs a LOT of money to be the title sponsor of a PGA Tour event (about $12-15 million, at latest reporting). The Good Good Championship nature of the Fall series may make that cost a little cheaper, but it’s still an outrageous amount of capital for a company of their size. I’m sure there’s a compelling business case, but I’m still fascinated.

Dethier: I am particularly fascinated by the change in identity that has taken place here. We tend to think of Good Good and its smaller YouTube Golf peers as something of a future of golf – an alternative to the PGA Tour and Golf Channel. Now they lean on the PGA Tour AND Golf Channel and tap into the past as they do. There is power in being part of the establishment…

Melton: I’m fascinated by the whole spectacle. I knew Good Good was big, but I didn’t think they were a Tour sponsor event big. If nothing else, I’m glad to see Big Break making a comeback. Always one of my favorite watches as a kid and I’m curious to see how the reboot turns out.

The aforementioned tournament (the Good Good Championship) will be played as a fall event starting next year and will take place in Austin, which not long ago was a regular PGA Tour stop. What does this move tell you about the future of the PGA Tour and how it plans to serve its audience?

Feeling: It’s no secret that the Tour, like golf itself, goes to great lengths to attract a younger audience. This step clearly fits in with that goal. The timing for September also seems to fit well – during what used to be called the silly season, as opposed to the traditional heart of the season. It’s a smart, relatively low-risk way to try something new.

Colgan: It’s hard to understand the disappearance of the Maui event the same week that Austin returns to the schedule, but I’m glad to see one of the coolest cities in professional golf is back.

Dethier: The Tour has telegraphed its plans for a smaller, more meaningful main schedule. But it has also expanded some fall events and now included another. Something has to happen before these visions can fit together – and soon.

Melton: Bringing in Good Good as title sponsor certainly indicates that the Tour wants to reach a younger audience, but does the sponsor of an event really matter? That a lot of? I’m not sure the name of the event will do much to generate interest among the younger demographic.

Former world number 1 and five-time world champion Yani Tseng won a weather-shortened Wistron Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour in Taiwan on Sunday, taking her first victory in more than a decade. Tseng has been open about her battle with the yips, but a switch to left-handed putting has revitalized her career. How unlikely was this victory given where Tseng found himself years ago?

Feeling: I interviewed Tseng years ago at her home in Florida, when she was at the height of her powers. She seemed so comfortable with her life, both on and off the court, that I was shocked to see her go off the rails. But this comeback is even more surprising. Ten years is a long, long time to continue the fight. It’s amazing that she lasted, and even more amazing that she pulled off another win.

Colgan: Unlikely? Don’t know. But inspiring? Yes! As someone who recently started staring at the intended destination of my putt to overcome a bad habit of yippee, I’m happy to learn that there is hope… even if it arrives on the other side of the ball.

Dethier: I’ve heard stories of Tseng’s darkest times, when he would go through practice sessions and rounds at home where the idea of ​​breaking 80 wasn’t realistic. To see her show up and win? This is bigger than a story about wave resilience; it is a small but remarkable triumph of the human spirit.

Melton: Everyone loves a comeback story, and this is no exception. The yips could be career-ending, so it’s incredible to see her overcome them and get back into the winner’s circle. She may never return to where she once was as the game’s biggest star, but the feat is impressive nonetheless. Well done to her.