Keegan Bradley in the crosshairs for the Ryder Cup: Captain and Player?
Keegan Bradley is in the final stretch to secure his place on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, with the possibility of becoming the first captain-player in 62 years. With two FedEx Cup playoff tournaments ahead, Bradley seeks to consolidate his position. Ryder Cup veterans like Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler support Bradley’s inclusion in the 12-player team that will face Europe at Bethpage Black, New York, from September 26 to 28.Bradley, 39, could be the youngest American captain since Arnold Palmer, who held the same role in 1963. Currently, Bradley holds the tenth position in the U.S. team’s points standings, following his victory at the Travelers Championship, a notable event, on June 22. Since then, he hasn’t managed to place among the top 30 in four appearances. However, he has five top-10 finishes and nine top-25 finishes in 19 tournaments. Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, and Xander Schauffele have already secured their place on the team. The top six golfers in points after this week’s BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club will make the team. Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Harris English are currently in the top six. Bradley anticipated DeChambeau’s inclusion in the team, while Henley and English seem to have their place secured at Bethpage Black, regardless of their position in points. Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Maverick McNealy, and Andrew Novak round out the current top 12. On August 27, three days after the Tour Championship at East Lake, Bradley will make six captain’s picks. Bradley has expressed doubts about whether he will choose himself as a player-captain, after having previously stated that he would only compete if he qualified by points. After his victory at the Travelers Championship, Bradley stated that he would choose himself if he “feels he can help the team”. Cantlay, who participated in the last two Ryder Cups, believes Bradley has played great golf and deserves a place on the team. If Bradley were to self-select, he would have to delegate some of his U.S. team management responsibilities, probably to Jim Furyk, one of his five vice-captains. Cantlay noted that Bradley has a lot of responsibility during the week. If Bradley thinks he can play golf like in a normal week, given his other responsibilities, Cantlay would choose him as captain.“Yes, I would choose him too,” Fowler, who has participated in five Ryder Cups, affirmed. “I think it would be difficult to find many Americans who would argue otherwise.”
Rickie Fowler
