The PGA Tour season concluded with the Tour Championship and the awarding of the FedEx Cup, which means its officially Ryder Cup season where Keegan Bradley has a massive decision to make.
Bradley, the Team USA captain, will complete the roster with his captain’s picks on Aug. 27, and the golf world is waiting on pins and needles to see whether he picks himself. There are no rules against doing so, which means Bradley could pencil his own name as part of the roster despite not qualifying for an automatic bid on points.
Will Keegan Bradley Pick Himself for Ryder Cup?
The question isn’t whether Bradley can pick himself to play. Rather, the question on everyone’s mind is will Bradley pick himself to play for Team USA.
One thing we know is true: Bradley is certainly considering it. Interestingly, that’s a direct change of heart for Bradley. When the PGA of America announced on July 8, 2024 that Bradley would captain Team USA at Bethpage Black in September of 2025, Bradley insisted he wouldn’t be playing if he didn’t get in on points.
“I will either make the team on points — I don’t seem myself picking — I’m not going to pick myself,” he declared at his very first press conference in July of 2024 after being announced as captain. “The only way that would happen is if the team was insisting on it, but even if they did, I don’t see that happening. I want to make the team on points. Otherwise, I’m going to be the captain.”
Fast-forward to the 2025 PGA Tour season, and Team USA’s top six — the players who got in on points — is already set. Bradley is not on that list. He was ranked in the top 12 on points entering the Tour Championship where he finished tied for seventh in the 30-man field.
“I think no matter what decision that I make here, I could have gone the other way easily, no matter what. The only thing I care about is on Sunday of the Ryder Cup, that we win the Ryder Cup. Then I’ll know I made the right decision,” he told reporters after the final round. “Until then, I won’t know. It’s going to be pretty wild. Whatever decision we make, we’re going to have to live with it. I love the guys on our team. They’re all playing great. It’s just really something else. It’s awesome.”
However, it won’t be awesome for anyone on the bubble. Players like Ben Griffin, Cameron Young and Sam Burns are all in the running for the final roster spot or two. They’re all top-22 players in the world, and all are behind Bradley in those world golf rankings. However, it’s worth wondering whether Bradley’s mental stress and responsibilities that come with being the captain offset some of that.
Historical Significance for Bradley Picking Himself
The Ryder Cup has been around nearly 100 years, and there have been 23 playing captains. On the surface, that sounds like a lot, or at least it makes it sound like it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility.
However, it hasn’t been done since 1963 when the legendary Arnold Palmer went 4-2-0 at the Atlanta Athletic Club where Team USA coasted to a 23-9 win.
There’s a reason it hasn’t happened in more than 60 years, though. Initially, the Ryder Cup was the United States vs. Great Britain. That format was held all the way through the 1971 Ryder Cup. Then, in 1973, the Great Britain team was expanded to include Ireland. It wasn’t until 1979 that all of Europe was included. Since then, the Europeans are 12-9-1 (retaining with the lone tie) adding a competitiveness to the Ryder Cup that made it the event it is today.
Speaking of that, it’s never been more difficult to be the captain. There are so many responsibilities, especially as the host. Bradley acknowledged as much during the Tour Championship, saying he didn’t practice as much as he wanted that week because he was in New York on the Monday of tournament week handing out tickets and attending a dinner.
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