Keegan Bradley has finally lifted a huge weight off his shoulders after announcing his captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup.
Bradley was under pressure to pick himself to play at the 2025 Ryder Cup, which takes place at Bethpage Black this time next month.
But the captain decided not to go with himself, instead picking Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Cameron Young and Ben Griffin.
They have joined automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.
Bradley certainly has a very talented team at his disposal, but Luke Donald also has a long list of European stars to call upon.
Keegan Bradley solves America’s age-old Ryder Cup problem with Ben Griffin selection
He names his Ryder Cup team on Monday, with his six picks set to join the six automatic qualifiers for Bethpage Black.
That list comprises Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Hojgaard.
Bradley has, however, seemingly already solved a major problem for America long before the tournament has even started.
The team has had an age-old problem of the so-called ‘Boys Club’, which has undoubtedly held them back at various editions of the Ryder Cup.
But one player who certainly isn’t a member of the group is Griffin, who left professional golf just a handful of years ago after being disillusioned with his poor performances.
Phil Mickelson labelled Griffin an “inspiration” after his selection, with Bradley deserving plenty of praise for making the call to include the 29-year-old.
What has Keegan Bradley previously said about the American Ryder Cup ‘Boys Club’?
Very fittingly, current captain Bradley fell victim to the American Ryder Cup Boys Club in 2023, when he missed out on a playing spot under Zach Johnson.
He finished 11th in the qualification standings for Rome, before receiving a heartbreaking call that he wouldn’t be on the team.
However, at number 16, Justin Thomas was awarded a place, along with the likes of Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, with America going on to lose to Europe in the Italian capital.
Sharing his verdict on Johnson’s picks, Tiger Woods’ former swing coach Hank Haney wrote on X: “It didn’t matter who Zach Johnson picked, the USA team will be heavily favored, but those picks confirm it’s the Boys Club.”
Bradley’s thoughts on the situation were also documented by Sports Illustrated, when he was asked for his take on the apparent closed-doors group.
He said at the time: “The thing is, those guys are close. They’re not just PGA Tour close, they’re close friends.
“If you take golf out of the equation, they’re legit close friends. You have your close friends as a golfer and then you have your close PGA Tour friends, and a lot of the time your close friends aren’t on the Tour.
“These guys are legit best friends and I’m jealous of that a little bit, because it makes their life on Tour that much more fun.”
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