The PGA of America have certainly gone with a left-field pick for the Team USA captain at the 2025 Ryder Cup.
As opposed to their traditional route of selecting experienced players who have previously served on the background team, Keegan Bradley has been selected.
Having not only not served as an assistant captain on Team USA, he will also be 39 when the competition gets underway.
That will make Bradley the youngest Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer was a playing captain in 1963 aged 34.
He was on the shortlist of potential captains for the ultimately disastrous 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, but wasn’t picked by captain Zach Johnson.
Xander Schauffele reacts to Keegan Bradley’s appointment as Ryder Cup captain
Ironically Bradley now replaces Johnson in the top role, with the appointment leaving many US golf fans baffled.
But world number three Xander Schauffele has had a different reaction to the decision, with the PGA Championship winner excited for what is to come.
“When someone is really passionate about something, they usually do really well,” Schauffele said in his Scottish Open press conference.
“He is so laid back off the course. If you get him in like a dinner setting or something, he loves sports. He’ll talk about sports all night long if you like.
“He’s a very passionate individual. On the course, he’s intense. That’s just how he competes and how he is.
“I’m sure as a captain he’s going to have sort of a mixed bag. He won’t be afraid and will get everyone going.
“Knowing Keegan and how good of a job he’s going to want to do, he’s going to love doing the press and talking about the tournament and the Cup and proud to be an American, all those things. It’s going to be really interesting and fun to see.”
Xander Schauffele surprised at Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup captaincy
Schauffele has, of course, yet to receive confirmation that he will be playing at the 2025 Ryder Cup under Bradley.
But given his current form and indeed his previous success at the competition and the Presidents Cup, he is very likely to make an appearance.
Schauffele has never played with Bradley at the two major team events, but is expecting big things from the latter at Bethpage Black, while the captain is anticipating a ‘special’ tournament.
“I feel like Keegan would understand sort of when we need to get up, when we need to practice, and when you need to do this and hopefully dodge anything you don’t have to do,” said Schauffele. “And maybe that will help us.
He added: “Yeah, it’s surprising. You typically expect someone that’s a little bit older to get selected as a captain. I think a lot of people were banking on Tiger [Woods] to do it. He obviously has a lot on his plate.
“So Keegan expressed his love for the Ryder Cup publicly, which we all saw, and I’m sure … I haven’t talked to him or seen him yet, but I’m sure he’s over the moon and is going to do a great job.”
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