It is probably not too dramatic to say how the 2025 Ryder Cup goes will shape how Team USA approach the event for years to come following the surprise decision to appoint Keegan Bradley as the captain.
No one, not least Keegan Bradley, saw his appointment coming.
Tiger Woods turned down the role. Nevertheless, the 39-year-old has been out of the picture when it comes to the Ryder Cup for more than a decade now.
Bradley’s last appearance in the event came at Gleneagles in 2014. So it was undoubtedly a roll of the dice from the PGA of America to turn to him to lead his country at Bethpage Black.
If the USA regain the Samuel Ryder trophy in the coming days, it will appear to be a masterstroke. And there may even be calls for Bradley to stay on for Adare Manor in 2027.
However, the PGA of America will know that a huge amount of criticism will come their way if Europe become the first away side to win since 2012.
US team manager suggests what has really impressed him about Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley
Bradley was put in such a difficult position over whether to pick himself. He had arguably done more than enough to make the team, but clearly, balancing both roles looked set to be too much.
It was such an impressive decision from Bradley. But one person who would not have been surprised by his selflessness was Team USA’s manager John Wood.
And in an interview with Smylie Kaufman on The Smylie Show, Wood was asked what had impressed him most about Bradley’s captaincy.
“Is everything a bad answer? I have been amazed at how prepared he is, how decisive he is. It’s not like this was a captaincy he was expecting. I think he was as surprised as anybody when he was asked,” he said.
“But everything that we’ve gone through, every decision from the PGA of America to players and caddies and anybody that had any sort of a question, how do you want this done for the team? He knew immediately. He was decisive, there was no going back and forth, there was no guessing. He had a clear vision for how he wanted this team to look. And he’s never changed from that.
“It’s been very easy to work for a guy like that, because you know what he wants. I think that instils confidence that your leader really knows exactly what he wants. He’s been, I think, probably the most communicative of all the captains I have seen with the potential players throughout the year and a half. And they’ve all said that to a tee, they love what Keegan’s done for them.”
The plan Keegan Bradley outlined when he was named the Ryder Cup captain
As Wood suggests, it is so impressive how Bradley took the baton in 2024 and absolutely ran with it. It is not as though he could have prepared for what was to come, other than have a few potential ideas of what he would like to do if the captaincy ever came his way.
But judging by the press conference in which his captaincy was announced, it appears that Bradley had a plan in mind when it came to how he would approach building his team.
“I’m going to say I’m going to take a fresh look at vice captains, they’re going to be a lot younger, closer to playing. I think that I’m going to be out there with the guys. I’m going to be playing in the same tournaments they’re going to be playing in. I’m going to be playing in majors with them. I’m going to be playing week-to-week, I’ll be alongside these guys in the locker room, practice rounds, dinner,” he said.
“As opposed to in the past with Ryder Cup they got to fly in, they got to schedule all these things and I’m going to have a year of being with the guys as a peer. And one thing that is important to me is I want to play on the team. I feel as though I’m still in the prime of my career and can make this team. So, you know, it’s a great honour that my peers chose me to do this, and, you know, I don’t have the experience that a lot of the other captains had, but I know these guys really well, I’m connected to these guys and I see them week-to-week.”
Bradley definitely appears to have left no stone unturned. If Team USA lose the Ryder Cup this week, it will not be because their captain has not given everything.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
