Keegan Bradley talks about Phil Mickelson’s potential role in the Ryder Cup

The name of the announcement Keegan Bradley as US Ryder Cup captain shocked the golf world. Will Bradley surprise everyone again by naming LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelson as vice-captain?

Don’t deposit money.

Only one year left until the long-awaited 2025 Ryder Cup IN Black BethpageBradley and European captain Luke Donald joined reporters in Manhattan on Tuesday for a wide-ranging press conference about the event.

Once thought to be the top choice for the role of captain of the USA in 2025, Mickelson has become persona non grata among the American golf establishment since he helped launch LIV Golf in 2022. Now Bradley has the role that many expected Phil to take over, but on Tuesday, Bradley had only good things to say about the six-time major champion.

Bradley went into detail about how Mickelson took him under his wing at the 2014 Ryder Cup, where they successfully teamed up on the course.

“I really, early in my career, I really took Phil’s leadership that he gave me for granted,” Bradley said Tuesday. “You know, I was playing with one of the best players to ever touch a golf club. “In the alternate shot, he just said, ‘We’re going to play your ball.'”

But Mickelson’s tutelage went even further, according to Bradley.

“What Phil did for me is he created a relaxed atmosphere and said, ‘Don’t worry about leaving it four or five feet. I will make them come back’. Little things like that really helped me,” Bradley said. “He mentored me before (the 2014 Ryder Cup). He took me out to dinner. He talked to me over and over all year about the pressures and what’s to come and I learned really a lot, and it wasn’t until now that I really realized what an incredible thing it was that he did for me.”

Bradley was so influenced by Mickelson’s leadership, he said he plans to pass Phil’s lessons to the 2025 U.S. team.

“So it’s important that I communicate with the veterans of the team to do that for these rookies and for these younger players on our team.”

But in a media scrum immediately following the press conference, Bradley was asked directly by Golf Digest’s Christopher Powers if Mickelson could play the role of vice captain next year at Bethpage Black. While Bradley didn’t say no, he revealed that he doesn’t think Mickelson would want the job.

“To be honest, I haven’t gotten that far,” Bradley said. “Personally, I don’t think he’s really interested in doing that. I owe a lot to Phil and I think he’s done a lot for the US Ryder Cup team, but I’m not so sure he’s looking to come in as vice-captain.”

The Ryder Cup begins on September 26, 2025, at Bethpage Black on Long Island.

Kevin Cunningham

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