After considerable angst, Keegan Bradley decided to stick to his duties as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team and forego the opportunity to play in the matches against Europe next month at Bethpage Black.
Bradley made the announcement Wednesday in a news conference at PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas, where he named Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cam Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns to fill out his 12-man team.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner who was infamously left off the squad that eventually was trounced in Rome two years ago, had a compelling case to pick himself but ultimately opted against the challenging situation of being in charge of the team while playing on it.
Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau had earned the six automatic qualifying places that were determined via a two-year points process that concluded on Aug. 17 at the BMW Championship.
The Americans are looking to extend their home winning streak to three straight when the event takes place Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black on Long Island.
Bradley was the surprise choice to lead the U.S. team when the PGA of America announced the decision in July of 2024 after Tiger Woods turned down the job. At the time, Bradley said it was unlikely he would play, a stance he wavered on in recent months.
“I’m not going to pick myself,” he said then. “The only way that would happen is if the team was insisting on it. But if they did, I don’t see it happening. I want to make the team on points, otherwise I’m going to be the captain.”
But after winning the Travelers Championship in June, giving him two victories in the past 13 months, Bradley said: “This changes the story a little bit.”
Many of his potential teammates and assistant captains had lobbied him to play.
Although he never climbed higher than ninth in the Ryder Cup points race – and finished 11th – it is fair to argue that Bradley is among the top 12 Americans. He is 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking and the eighth-highest ranked American. According to Data Golf, he is the 10th-best American.
“It's been the most incredible year of my life,” Bradley said before announcing his picks. “My favorite year as a professional. We went through so much this pat year. The thing I cherish the most is the support I got from the fans. People at tournaments, at restaurants, at gas stations. Never thought of that when I was named captain. It’s been the biggest thrill of my life.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Keegan Bradley Makes Six Picks for U.S. Ryder Cup Team and Passes on Selecting Himself.