Keegan Bradley will be eager to prove his worth to US Team captain Jim Furyk at the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal.
Bradley had been named as an assistant captain, but was relieved of his duties after his selection as a playing member by Furyk.
The former perhaps would have appreciated staying in his previous role, in what would have been superb preparation for his Ryder Cup captaincy.
But at the same time Bradley will be delighted to have got the call as he looks to continue the US Presidents Cup Team dominance.
Bradley practised with Scottie Scheffler at Royal Montreal on Monday, with Sam Burns and Russell Henley also in their group.
Keegan Bradley makes Phil Mickelson claim ahead of Presidents Cup
The new Ryder Cup captain certainly knows a great deal about playing in team events, with that experience set to give him a huge boost this week.
Asked in his Presidents Cup press conference if it is bringing back memories of previous team competitions, Bradley said: “It definitely has. I have no clue how lucky I was to have Phil [Mickelson]. That was just my partner.
“I never came to a Presidents Cup wondering who my partner was going to be, wondering about this guy’s golf ball. Am I going to play with him?
“Like they just came every week going we’re going to play every match basically, and he’s going to play my ball on the alternate shot.
“I think now as I’m an older player, I have a better sense of how great Phil was to me in those early Cups, and I’m just so grateful for that. Especially now, I knew what he was doing for me then, but now I really know. It makes it even cooler.”
Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley shine at the Ryder Cup
Along with their Presidents Cup connections, Bradley and Mickelson have been a familiar Ryder Cup pairing over the years, with the duo partnering in five matches across the 2012 and 2014 competitions.
They boast a 4-1-0 record, with the former failing to win a Ryder Cup match in which the latter has not been his partner.
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The pair have gone in very different directions since then, with Bradley impressing on the PGA Tour and Mickelson defecting to LIV Golf.
Bradley has particularly shone in recent times, clinching his only PGA Tour win of the season at the BMW Championship.
Can Keegan Bradley cope without usual partner Phil Mickelson?
Mickelson meanwhile finished 46th in the LIV Golf Individual Standings, with Bradley really appreciative of their time together.
On playing with Mickelson, he added: “Yeah, I didn’t really know what was going on with the other players on the team because we knew we were playing.
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“To be honest with you, we were a tough team to beat. So we knew like they needed to put us out there. It takes such a variable out of your preparation that I never had to deal with.
“Now, on the other hand, it’s going to be fun for me to go out there and play with another player. I’ve never done it. So in a sense, that’s going to be a first for me, which is cool.”
Bradley is pairing up with Wyndham Clark in Thursday’s four-ball contest, with the US Team duo taking on Taylor Pendrith and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
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