Keegan Bradley will captain Team USA at the Ryder Cup in September, and he has been leaning on Tiger Woods for advice ahead of the showdown at Bethpage Black.
The upcoming Ryder Cup is expected to be a seriously exciting contest, and Bradley acting as a playing captain would add an extra layer of spice to the proceedings at Bethpage.
Woods has performed that exact role before, but at the Presidents Cup as opposed to the Ryder Cup.
Sir Nick Faldo has warned Bradley that it could be a mistake if he plays as well as captains the American Ryder Cup team.
The 39-year-old from Vermont has repeatedly insisted that his decision will be based upon only what is best for the team.
The general consensus is that the USA’s top players believe Bradley should definitely play at the Ryder Cup.
And whilst Woods is not one of his vice-captains, he may well have a key role to play, if Bradley does indeed perform both roles.
Keegan Bradley on what Tiger Woods has been like since he became Ryder Cup captain
Woods is one of the most highly respected names in the game, if not the most respected amongst the current crop of players.
The 15-time major champion has achieved everything in the game, so it’s little wonder why Bradley is so keen to learn from him.
Bradley was asked if his text conversations with his vice-captains have changed somewhat due to his fine form.
He replied: “A little bit, yeah. I’m going to look at myself as just another player. It’s tough for me, but I have to — we have to look at every single possibility just like we’d look at any other player in my position.
“Anybody in the top 12 or top 15 or top 20, you want to look at the player that’s playing the best. We’ve still got a month, two months left before the Ryder Cup, and if I continue my play, then we’ll talk about this, but you never know how this golf thing is.“
“It’s interesting because so many times in my career I’ve leaned on other players to help me go through situations, whether it’s endorsements or certain situations or how I feel in tournaments. I have no one to talk to about this. I can’t call someone who’s done it. Tiger Woods did it at the Presidents Cup. I’ve spoken to him a ton about this. There’s a few other guys that have done it in the Presidents Cup. The Ryder Cup is a much different animal.
“But we have a plan. We have a “for instance” that could happen. That can obviously change during the week. You’ve got to see how each player is playing. But we’re learning as we go just like everybody else.“
Bradley then confirmed what Woods’ attitude has been like towards him since he was named as the Ryder Cup captain.
He said: “Well, Tiger has been really helpful. He obviously turned this position down and it came to me, so he’s been very helpful in this process. Tiger has been really, really great to me over the course of my career. He does a lot of things for us players that he doesn’t do for the media. So he’s been really helpful to me my whole life. Really kind to me actually. During this process, he’s been one of the most helpful people that I’ve had.“
Keegan Bradley can’t believe what new breed of Americans do after tournaments now
Bradley has admitted that he is delighted with the camaraderie that the new generation of American players share.
After last year’s Open Championship, many of the top American golfers headed over to Ireland for a golf trip.
And Bradley admitted that he was stunned by that.
He said: “The approach is way different. These guys are way softer to one another. They are legitimate friends. Our team-room was amazing but, these guys are like, ‘let’s get the families together, let’s go to the Bahamas’. These guys went on a golf trip after The British Open last year, a bunch of them. I couldn’t imagine. I’m looking to get home, these guys are going to Ireland, hanging together.“
Historically, the European team has been far more closely-knit than the American side.
However, that might just be changing now.
And with an animated, passionate guy like Bradley at the helm, expect Team USA to develop a siege mentality at Bethpage Black in September.
The Ryder Cup will be a truly incredible event to witness, and I for one cannot wait for it.
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