Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley will spend much of the next eight months together as anticipation builds for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Despite the entire PGA Tour season occurring before the Bethpage event, the Ryder Cup remains firmly in the headlines.
Whether it’s the PGA of America’s decision to pay US players, ridiculous $750 ticket prices, or the availability of LIV Golf players, Donald and Bradley have plenty to tackle ahead of next September.
Luke Donald discusses ‘unusual’ USA Ryder Cup decision
Unsurprisingly, Donald and Bradley have been quizzed about each other regularly over the past months.
Journalist Dan Rapaport was the latest to get his teeth stuck into the Englishman. While discussing the American’s career, Donald admitted that his appointment as Ryder Cup captain was ‘unusual’ given that he’s still contending on the PGA Tour.
“I think he still thinks he has two or three more Ryder Cups in him, you know, where he’s playing. He had a result just this last weekend [Hero World Challenge]. You know, he is right up there. I see how hard he works,” Donald said. “We are members of the same club at the Grove in Jupiter. It’s an unusual pick because he has the ability to be a playing captain, which we haven’t really experienced in a very, very long time since Arnold Palmer back in the 60s.”
He added: “It’s all new territory. But I also know how much he has a passion for the Ryder Cup. You see, you can tell when he talks about it.
“You know, even I watched a lot of the Presidents Cup, you know, just when he finished, you know, you could see the emotion. You can see what it means to be in a team, and I’m sure that that quality will make him a good captain.”
- READ MORE: Billy Horschel reacts to the PGA of America deciding to pay USA team at the 2025 Ryder Cup
When was Keegan Bradley’s last PGA Tour victory?
As Donald mentions, Bradley is still very much part of the PGA Tour’s elite, and the American still stands every chance of qualifying for his own Ryder Cup roster.
Bradley’s latest victory came at the BMW Championship in Denver. The American finished at 12 under and adapted brilliantly to the altitude change at Castle Pines Golf Club.
Bradley’s victory in the second FedEx Cup playoff event earned him a spot in the Tour Championship at East Lake. The 38-year-old ended the week tied for 21st.
If Bradley consistently performs during the 2025 season, an American playing captain could well be on the cards for the first time since Arnold Palmer in 1963, when the US ran out emphatic winners.
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