Patrick Cantlay says if Keegan Bradley should play at the Ryder Cup regardless of his current form

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Patrick Cantlay has really struggled with his form on the PGA Tour this season and as a result, he is in danger of missing out on playing at the Ryder Cup for a third successive time.

Cantlay is currently sitting in 15th position in the US Ryder Cup standings, and it’s looking very likely that he will need to rely on a captain’s pick from Keegan Bradley.

A win at the BMW Championship or the Tour Championship would almost guarantee the eight-time PGA Tour winner’s place on the Ryder Cup team.

Cantlay has heard that Caves Valley has changed since he won there in 2021, but he will still fancy his chances at the BMW Championship due to his previous success there.

And he might just need a win to convince Bradley that he should be on the team.

However, what does Cantlay think about Bradley playing on the US team at Bethpage Black?

Patrick Cantlay says if Keegan Bradley should play at the Ryder Cup

Cantlay is close with Bradley, and the pair play together a lot away from tournaments at their home club – The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida.

So they obviously know each other’s games very well, and Bradley must be desperate for Cantlay to play well, given his impressive 5-2-1 Ryder Cup record.

But does the 33-year-old think he is deserving of a captain’s pick from his friend?

Cantlay was asked if he would pick himself for the Ryder Cup, when speaking to the press on Tuesday.

He said: “Fortunately that’s not — I’m not in that predicament. Keegan, however, is in that predicament. If I was the captain, I’d pick Keegan. I think he’s played great.“

The 33-year-old was then asked if he would pick Bradley regardless of his current form.

Cantlay said: “Not regardless. I think he has a lot of responsibility that week, so if he feels that he can play golf like a normal week given all his other responsibilities, I’m just saying that if I was the captain and I was thinking, I think he’s definitely one of the best American players, and his results have shown that.“

That’s a fair comment from Cantlay. Nobody is owed a place on the Ryder Cup team, and if Bradley doesn’t show some form in the final two FedEx Cup Playoff events, he may find it difficult to justify picking himself.

Patrick Cantlay says if practice round with Keegan Bradley meant anything

Cantlay played alongside Bradley during a practice round at Caves Valley on Tuesday ahead of the BMW Championship.

During his press conference after his round, the world number 22 was asked if his mind is on the Ryder Cup right now.

He said: “Yeah, I think that’s definitely something where I’m just focused on the task at hand and worrying about these two weeks to close out the season. Once the season is over, my mind will shift towards that if that’s in the cards for me.

“Keegan and I play a lot at home, so it was just kind of a normal Tuesday.“

It will be very interesting to see how Cantlay plays over the next two weeks, and if he is able to send a message to Bradley making it impossible to leave him off the Ryder Cup team.