In case you missed the news, Keegan Bradley was just announced as the 2025 US Ryder Cup team captain on Monday.
Keegan Bradley has been named the captain of the U.S. Team for the 2025 @RyderCup 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZYtG0siwgJ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2024
There was much speculation about who the captain would be, with a large contingency guessing Tiger Woods, but at the end of the day, Bradley was chosen after being shockingly left off the 2023 team last year.
On Tuesday, Keegan Bradley held his first press conference since being named Ryder Cup captain, and it’s safe to say he’s extremely excited and honored to have this opportunity.
Bradley said many great things during the press conference, but these are the three things that stood out to me the most.
1. Keegan Bradley will not use a captain’s pick on himself
There have been many captains throughout the history of the Ryder Cup who have either qualified as a player by earning enough points or by selecting themselves to the team. This sometimes stirs up some controversy if the captain isn’t playing well but still picks themselves.
However, Bradley is eliminating any chance for that controversy to occur.
Bradley said: “I want to play on the team, I feel I’m still in the prime of my career and want to play.”
🚨🏆🇺🇸 #NEW: Keegan Bradley says he wants to be a playing Ryder Cup captain. “I want to play on the team, I feel I’m still in the prime of my career and want to play.” Says he will try to make the team on points but won’t pick himself.
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 9, 2024
He then went on to confirm that he’ll only play if he automatically qualifies on points, he will not select himself.
Personally, I think this is the right way for a captain to handle this. Nobody will be upset if they earn their way on the team, but selecting yourself sometimes feels a little slimy. So thankfully this is the decision Bradley is making which eliminates any chance for any drama to occur in the locker room.