After months of waiting for Keegan Bradley to make six crucial decisions that can eventually decide the fate of his US Ryder Cup team next month, we now have our answers.
And there is one big surprise that hardly saws.
Bradley, the US Ryder Cup captain of 2025, selected Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns to complete his team, an announcement he officially made at the PGA of America, Texas.
The six join the half dozen car qualifications-scotting Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson Deschambeau Die against the Europeans in the 45th Ryder Cup on 26-28 September on Bethpage Black on Long Island.
Although it was somewhat shocking, Bradley did not mention his own name on Wednesday, because many suspected that he would be the first playing fleet of the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963 (a 23-9 American home victory). Bradley, 39, has played well enough for the past two years to make a convincing business for his own schedule. He won last year and again this season, and after last week’s Tour Championship he was 11th in the Ryder Cup -classification. He was one of the biggest selection snubs for the Ryder Cup team of 2023 and has long expressed his deep admiration for the event and why he wants to be so part of it.
But Bradley said on Wednesday that his decision not to play was taken a while ago.
“This was really a difficult decision,” said Bradley. “This year there was a point where I played a while ago, but all these guys stepped up in an important way and played their way to this team. That is something I am really proud of and something I really wanted, but it was an extremely difficult decision, but I am really happy with these six players – and I am happy that it is over.”
It was a mild surprise when the PGA of America announced Bradley, who had played in just two Ryder cups, as a captain for 2025, a job that is usually reserved for more experienced players or who with more Ryder Cup performances or previous vice-captain experience. It is also one that is often given to players who will probably not make the team.
There was always a chance that Bradley would play good enough to make the selection, but it became more of a topic of conversation in the summer when he recorded six top 10s, only missed two cutbacks and rose all the way to the 7th in the official world golf ranking (he is now 11th). The highlight came in June. As a favorite with the crowd that grew up just a few hours, Bradley won the Travelers Championship in TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Con. That victory made the possibility of the Speelnotel.
“I don’t think you will find one or many Americans who are going to claim that he should not be in the team,” said Rickie Fowler two weeks ago at the BMW championship.
However, the opinions varied if a play basket would have the bandwidth to play well, but also well. Last week Bradley called the decision to become a Ryder Cup, the greatest of my life.
He made it officially on Wednesday. He was gone.
This will be Thomas’s fourth Ryder Cup. Morikawa and Cantlay will both play in their third and Burns will play in his second. Griffin and Young will make their Ryder Cup debut.
Thomas, Morikawa and Griffin were Nos. 7-9 in the last Ryder Cup classification, while Young (14th), Cantlay (15th) and Burns (16th) were outside the top 12. Maverick McNealy (10th) and Brian Harman (12th), together with Bradley (11th), were the players in the top 12 of the positions that were not chosen.
The European Ryder Cup team solidified its six car qualifications on Sunday. Captain Luke Donald will make the picks of his six captain on Monday.
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