Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we’re back at the range in hopes of making the 2027 Ryder Cup team.

Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.

Discounting world No. 11 Keegan Bradley not picking himself for his U.S. Ryder Cup team, there were no significant snubs in the captain’s selections.

Bob Harig: FACT. The only other players truly in the conversation were Mav McNealy, Brian Harman and Chris Gotterup. Certainly there were arguments for all of them, but not above those players who were chosen and certainly not in any significant way.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. Not sure you can really make a case for Maverick McNealy or Brian Harman over the other guys on the team. I think Chris Gotterup could’ve been a sneaky-good selection over Morikawa, but I don’t think it rises to the level of a “snub.”

John Pluym: FICTION. Gotterup should have made the team. He’s played superb golf down the stretch, way better than Morikawa. And I’ll throw one more name out there: Patrick Reed. Yes, I know not a lot of golf fans like him, but he’s been money in the Ryder Cup (7–3–2 in team, 3–0–0 singles). I would have loved to have seen another Reed–McIlroy showdown. 

Max Schreiber: FICTION. To be honest, Morikawa did not deserve to be on the team, based on the final few months of his season. Maverick McNealy, Chris Gotterup and Akshay Bhatia had more upside, but were also more of a risk. Morikawa has established himself as a Ryder Cup mainstay, and that will likely be the case moving forward, too. 

John Schwarb: FACT. There’s a very mild case to be made for Maverick McNealy, simply because he was 10th in points, but he was also a rookie and Bradley said Wednesday that rookies have to expect to make their first team on points. There’s no Monday-morning quarterbacking to be made around these picks, though check back with us on Monday, Sept. 29.

Cameron Young, the New York native with plenty of Bethpage Black knowledge, will prove to be the breakout star for the U.S. team.  

Bob Harig: FICTION. The always crazy thing about the picks: they often the players who will be in the lineup the least. Certainly Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa might play often. But the breakout player you are looking for here is Russell Henley, who is quite likely to be Scottie Scheffler’s partner. He’s never played in a Ryder Cup. That’s the guy who has a chance to be a star.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I like that Young made the team, but if I had to guess, I might tap Griffin as a surprise breakout star. Remember, he won the team event in New Orleans this year, which includes foursomes and fourball, and he’s been steady all summer.

John Pluym: FICTION. I’m going to go with Griffin. He was consistent throughout the season. And his +0.905 strokes-gained total speaks volumes. It always comes down to putting at the Ryder Cup.

Max Schreiber: FICTION. Not to dodge the question, but for someone who has never played in a Ryder Cup, it’s hard to know how they’ll fare. Luckily for Young, he’s near home, and the New York fans will be behind their own all week. Also, a 2–1–0 record in his first Presidents Cup is promising, but that’s a different animal from a Ryder Cup. 

John Schwarb: FACT. Sure sets up for Young to take his star turn, from this setting to the fact that he seems poised for a giant leap now that he finally has a Tour win under his belt. Why not become a legend with the fans in a U.S. win?

The strongest U.S. pairing right now is the familiar duo of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. 

Bob Harig: FICTION. They are actually 1–3 in their last four matches together, all foursomes, with a 1–1 record last year at the Presidents Cup and 0–2 at the 2023 Ryder Cup. Their familiarity suggests they will be together—and should be—but there’s hardly any guarantees there, especially given that neither player has been as good this year as the last two.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. It’s the most accomplished team entering this year’s event, and I’d expect to see them together sometime on Ryder Cup Friday. But to win, the U.S. will need to create more pairings that are just as formidable.

John Pluym: FACT. It’s hard to argue with results (I would love to argue about Cantlay’s slow play and Hatgate at the last Ryder Cup), and Cantlay’s 16–5–1 record in Ryder and Presidents Cups is off the charts. Team USA is going to need him to be on top of his game after Xander Schauffele struggled this season. 

Max Schreiber: FICTION: I echo Bob’s sentiment, especially with their overall lackluster play this season. I think Scheffler and Henley (unless Scheffler plays with his best friend Burns) has the potential to be a lethal tandem with Scottie’s ball striking and Henley’s putting. 

John Schwarb: FACT. Cantlay, for all the hatgate distractions of Rome and a frequent target for slow play and dull demeanor, is a bulldozer in team play with a 16–5–1 all-time record in Ryder and Presidents Cups plus a perfect 5–0–0 mark in singles. Schauffele hasn’t been at his best but expect him to come to life here. Capt. Bradley will lean heavily on this pair.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Keegan Bradley’s U.S. Ryder Cup Captain’s Picks Did Not Snub Anyone.