Keegan Bradley Decides Not to Play in the Ryder Cup
Keegan Bradley, a renowned player, made the decision not to include his name on the list for the United States Ryder Cup team. This decision marks a milestone, as Bradley chose not to become the first playing captain in 62 years. Bradley selected Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay, and Sam Burns as the six captain’s picks for the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, New York.Despite having strong arguments to be part of the team, Bradley revealed that he decided “a while ago that he wouldn’t play”, adding that he had finalized the United States list earlier this week. Had he played, he would have been the first playing Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963 at East Lake.
Bradley, 39, finished 11th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings this season and is the eighth-best American in the world rankings. He has won twice in the last 13 months against the best players; only Scottie Scheffler has more PGA Tour wins in that span. Although he admitted he wanted to play, Bradley reiterated: “I am 100 percent sure this is the right choice” for not including himself in the team. Bradley also finished 11th in Ryder Cup points in 2023, but U.S. captain Zach Johnson overlooked him to pick Burns, Rickie Fowler, and Thomas, who were lower in the standings. The Europeans defeated the United States 16½-11½ at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside Rome.“For the last 48 hours, we had the team ready. We weren’t improvising at all,” Bradley said during a press conference at PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas. “This was a really difficult decision. I will say there was a moment when I was playing. All these guys took a big step and earned their place on this team, and that’s something I’m really proud of and something I really wanted.”
Keegan Bradley
“I grew up wanting to play the Ryder Cup,” Bradley said. “I grew up wanting to fight alongside these guys, and it broke my heart not to play. It really did because you work forever to be a part of these teams, but ultimately, I was chosen to do a job. I was chosen to be the captain of this team, and my ultimate goal to start all this was to be the best captain I could be, and so I felt I could do that.”
Keegan Bradley
Griffin and Young are among the four American rookies on the Ryder Cup team, along with Spaun and Henley. Young grew up in New York and set the course record at Bethpage Black in a state amateur event. He secured his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship on August 3rd and had top-12 finishes in each of his last four appearances.“I simply don’t care at all what they do or say,” Bradley said. “I care about our team. I’m not sure how I would know if it’s not possible. Really nobody has ever done it.”
Keegan Bradley
Griffin, 29, has been one of the most notable stories in professional golf this season. He retired from the game in 2021 and was working as a mortgage loan officer in North Carolina. He returned to the Korn Ferry Tour the following year and worked his way onto the PGA Tour. Griffin and Andrew Novak won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event in April, then Griffin finished first at the Charles Schwab Challenge on his own. He was runner-up at the Memorial, tied for eighth at the PGA Championship and tenth at the U.S. Open. He had three top-12 finishes in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, working his way onto the U.S. team.“Obviously, playing for your country is very special,” Young said. “And for me, you know, the United States is my home, but New York is really my home. So going back there to a place that I love, I can’t wait to get out there.”
Cameron Young
Other golfers believed to be in the running for the captain’s picks were Maverick McNealy (10th in points), Brian Harman (12th), Novak (13th), and Chris Gotterup (20th). European captain Luke Donald will announce his six selections on Monday.“Going from a desk job to returning to the PGA Tour has been an incredible journey,” Griffin said. “This year, it’s been a year of breakthroughs for me, and I’ve been working really hard and believing in myself. I’m really excited to be a part of this team and I appreciate the trust, not only from Keegan, but also from the rest of the captains and other players who also believe in me.”
Ben Griffin
