The decision from the PGA of America to appoint Keegan Bradley as the Ryder Cup captain will certainly be remembered as one of the most surprising in the event’s history, with the 39-year-old playing some of the best golf of his career right now.
Deciding the Ryder Cup captaincy is one of the most significant calls the PGA of America will make every couple of years.
Some of those choices have proven to be inspired. Paul Azinger did a superb job in 2008, while Steve Stricker led USA to a record victory 13 years later.
Meanwhile, it is probably fair to say that Jim Furyk was a much better captain at the 2024 Presidents Cup because of an extremely difficult week at Le Golf National in 2018.
But obviously, not every big name has had the honour of taking on the role in arguably the game’s biggest event.
Major winner admits surprise at not being asked to be Ryder Cup captain
When it comes to iconic moments in the Ryder Cup, they do not come much bigger than Justin Leonard holing the long putt on the 17th hole at Brookline to ensure that USA would complete the comeback from 10-6 down to win the Samuel Ryder trophy.
The 1997 Open champion made three appearances in the event in total. And when asked by Brandel Chamblee on The Favorite Chamblee whether he was surprised to never be asked about taking on the captaincy, Leonard admitted that he had indeed hoped for the call.
Chamblee said: “In my view there has been two big omissions by the PGA of America, and I’m a huge fan of them, in not naming Larry Nelson as captain and not naming you [Justin Leonard] as captain.
“I think you are Hall of Fame material and nobody has hit a more important shot in the Ryder Cup than you. The way you have carried yourself with class and grace.
“I know you are generous and humble but were you a little surprised you have never been named a Ryder Cup captain?”
“Yes, I was. I had a couple of chances to get involved years ago. Not as a captain, but as an assistant or a vice captain and I did not feel the timing was right for me,” he replied.
“I think looking back on it, turning that opportunity down, unfortunately I think it told too many people that make those decisions that the Ryder Cup was not important enough to me.
“That could not be further from the truth, I just did not feel like it was the right time to take that role and pull myself out of it at that point.
“Looking back if I had known I would have taken on those roles or those opportunities that I had but at the time I was not thinking this could affect me possibly being a captain one day.”
The ups and downs of Justin Leonard’s Ryder Cup career
Leonard would probably not have it any other way given what happened at The Country Club 26 years ago, but it is remarkable to think that he actually did not manage to win a full point in either of his first two Ryder Cup appearances.
He halved two of his four matches at Valderrama in 1997, before tying three out of four in Boston two years later.
Leonard was not involved in the next three – which all went Europe’s way. But he did make his return to the stage for Valhalla, where he won both of his matches on Friday.
The PGA of America took the bizarre decision to appoint Tom Watson for the 2014 Ryder Cup, more than two decades after his previous run.
And the disappointment of their performance at Gleneagles perhaps influenced their decision to turn back to Davis Love III for Hazeltine. Love III had barely put a foot wrong at Medinah in 2012.
You could certainly make a strong case that Leonard would have been a better choice than Watson in 2014, while he should also have been a contender four years later when Furyk got his chance.
With the generation after him now coming towards the end of their playing careers at the highest level, it is hard to see Leonard getting the opportunity some clearly think he richly deserved.
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