Rich Beem says the US Ryder Cup team could have a problem which may cause ‘finger-pointing and accusations’

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Keegan Bradley ended up finishing in a tie for seventh at the Tour Championship and many are expecting him to name himself as one of the six captain’s picks for the US Ryder Cup team on Wednesday.

The day of reckoning is fast approaching for Bradley, with the 39-year-old set to name his six captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Wednesday.

Bradley’s ability to perform at the Tour Championship with Ryder Cup issues circling around his head was hugely impressive.

It’s no surprise that numerous top American players have been urging Bradley to play at the Ryder Cup, given his exceptional form on the PGA Tour this season.

However, the big debate is whether or not he should play as well as retaining his role as captain of the US team.

Nobody has acted as a playing captain for the United States at the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer performed both roles way back in 1963.

And let’s face it, the Ryder Cup is a completely different animal now than it was then, with its all-consuming nature.

We will find out on Wednesday if Bradley will be part of the 12 Americans to take on Europe in September up in New York State.

If he does select himself, Rich Beem thinks a problem could be lying in wait for the United States.

Rich Beem says the US Ryder Cup team may have a Keegan Bradley problem

Back in July, Beem predicted that Bradley would play at the Ryder Cup and give up the captaincy.

While speaking on Sky Sports’ broadcast of the Tour Championship Sunday, Beem was asked whether he still believes the 39-year-old from Vermont will be on the US team next month.

Sky Sports presenter Nick Dougherty asked Beem: “Keegan Bradley, playing captain?“

Beem said: “Yes.“

Dougherty: “You think he’ll pick himself?“

Beem “Yes.“

Dougherty:“Is that a problem?“

Beem: “Yes…it can be.“

Dougherty: “He’s proved a lot of people wrong though, throughout his career.“

Beem: “There’s no doubt but still, he’s going to put a lot of pressure on himself to go out there and perform well, and to have the team win. If he doesn’t succeed there is going to be a lot of finger-pointing and accusations.

“Yes, I see him picking himself, I see him playing, whether or not he decides to push the captaincy to Jim Furyk remains to be seen, but I think he’s going to play and I think he’s going to stay captain.“

Nobody knows how Bradley will handle performing to the best of his ability in both roles but one thing’s for sure, if he is a playing captain at Bethpage and the Europeans win the Ryder convincingly, he will be in line for some serious criticism from the American media.

Whether Keegan Bradley’s game is conducive to performing well at Bethpage Black

Bradley has been one of the best performing American players in the game this year.

Let’s take a look at whether or not his stats from the 2025 PGA Tour season point to his game being a good fit for Bethpage Black.

Bradley has driven the ball really well in 2025. He is plenty long enough off the tee and hits roughly two out of every three fairways.

So he should suit the golf course off the tee. His impressive short game in 2025 will also be a big plus for the Americans if he is on the team.

However, one real problem could be his putting. The outcome of Ryder Cups is usually decided by the momentum gained or lost by both teams on the greens.

The atmosphere can change quickly if a few long putts are rolled in or, indeed, short ones missed.

If Bradley had been inside the top 50 in the putting stats on the PGA Tour this season, he would unquestionably be on the Ryder Cup team in September, potentially even as an automatic qualifier.

It’s still likely that he will name himself as one of the picks on Wednesday but if he doesn’t, I believe his below average putting in 2025 will be the reason why.