Why Keegan Bradley Didn't Pick Himself for 2025 Ryder Cup

When he was announced as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain in July 2024, Keegan Bradley said he wouldn’t use a pick on himself: “I want to make the team on points, otherwise I'm going to be the captain.” 

A lot can change in a year, and a lot has changed for Keegan. In the time following his announcement as captain, Bradley discovered some of the best form of his career. He rose from 19th to 11th in the world ranking, picked up two wins, and nabbed seven top-10 finishes. The better he played, the more his answer to the playing captain question changed. Everything Keegan has said over the last few months has pointed to him playing, despite a downturn in results over his last six starts since his Travelers Championship win. 

But when the time came, he didn’t call his number. On Wednesday morning, Keegan selected the following players to round out his team for Bethpage next month: 

Justin Thomas (fourth appearance)
Collin Morikawa (third appearance)
Ben Griffin (rookie)
Cameron Young (rookie)
Patrick Cantlay (third appearance)
Sam Burns (second appearance)

Those selections join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler (third appearance), J.J. Spaun (rookie), Xander Schauffele (third appearance), Russell Henley (rookie), Harris English (second appearance), and Bryson DeChambeau (third appearance).

"The decision was made awhile ago that I wasn’t playing,” Bradley said of his highly anticipated picks. “This was a really tough decision. I would say there was a point this year where I was playing a while ago. All these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way onto this team, and that’s something I’m proud of and something I really wanted. It was an extremely difficult decision but one that I’m really happy with. Really happy with these six players. I’m glad it’s over.”

“I’m 100 percent certain this is the right choice,” he added later. "I want to be the best captain I can be.”

All things considered, it appears that Keegan made the right choices. You can make the argument that he deserved a spot on this team and that his personality and competitive nature would’ve been a strong fit for a Ryder Cup in New York (don’t forget, he’s a St. John’s graduate). He can still bring that fire as a captain and hype up the crowds without the added pressure of playing. Keegan said he wants to be the best captain he can be, and his decisions support that statement. He could’ve easily put himself first, but instead he’s trusting his team.