After months of reception at Keegan Bradley to make six essential decisions that can eventually decide the fate of his US Ryder Cup team next month, we now have our answers.
And there is a big little surprise they saw.
Bradley, the 2025 Ryder Cup captain, chose Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns to round out his team, a announcement he made at the American PGA headquarters in Frisco, Texas, Wednesday morning.
Those six join the semi-dusage of qualification of vehicles-Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Xander Schauffle, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson Dechambeau-will take over Europeans in the 4-28 September 26-28 Cup in Beethpage Black in Luz Island.
Although it was somewhat shocking Bradley did not call his name Wednesday, so much that he suspected he would be Ryder Cup’s first chapter since Arnold Palmer in 1963 (a 23-9 home win in the US). Bradley, 39, has played quite well over the last two years to make a convincing occasion for his list. He won once last year and again this season, and after last week’s tour championship he sat in 11th place Ryder Cup ranking. He was one of the biggest scams on the list for the 2023 Ryder Cup team and has long expressed his deep admiration for the event and why he so badly wants to be part of it.
But Bradley said on Wednesday his decision not to play was made a while ago.
“This was a really harsh decision,” Bradley said. “There was a point this year where I was playing a little while ago, but all these people grew up in a big way and played their way to this team. This is something I’m really proud of and something I really loved, but it was an extremely difficult decision, but one with which I’m really happy. I’m really happy with these six players – and I’m happy.”
It was a gentle surprise when America’s PGA announced Bradley, who had played in just two Ryder cups, as captain for 2025, a job that is usually reserved for more veterans players or those with more Ryder Cup appearances or previous chapter experience. Also one often given to players who are likely not to make the team.
There was always a chance that Bradley would play well enough to make the list, but it became more a conversation theme during the summer when he recorded six 10 balls, lost only two cuts and rose all the way in 7th in the official world golf (he is now 11). The main point came in June. As a crowd’s favorite who grew up just hours away, Bradley won the TPC River Highlands championship in Cromwell, Conn. This victory made the reality the possibility of captain’s games.
“I don’t think you will find any or a lot of Americans who will argue that he shouldn’t be in the team,” Rickie Fowler said two weeks ago at the BMW Championship.
Opinions, however, changed if a captain of the game would have the width of the gang not only play well, but also the captain. Last week, Bradley called the decision to be a Ryder cup playing chapter “the greatest of my life”
On Wednesday, he made him official. He was out.
This will be the fourth Ryder Cup of Thomas. Morikawa and Cantlay will both play in their third, and Burns will play in its second. Griffin and Young will make their Ryder Cup debuts.
Thomas, Morikawa and Griffin were no. 7-9 in the last ranking of Ryder Cup, while Young (14th), Cantlay (15) and Burns (16th) were out of 12.
European Ryder Cup team solidarized it Six auto qualifiers on Sunday. Captain Luke Donald will make his six captain’s elections on Monday.
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