All eyes on Keegan Bradley as he prepares to make final Ryder Cup captain’s picks


U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will announce his six captain’s choices Wednesday.

The biggest question on everyone’s mind: Will Bradley choose himself?

Bradley would become the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer led the Americans to a 23-9 rout at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in 1963.

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler, U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun, two-time major champion Xander Schauffele and PGA Tour veterans Russell Henley and Harris English have already qualified for the team on points, along with LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau.

Bradley and his vice captains will choose the other half of the U.S. team that will battle the Europeans at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, on Sept. 26-28.

The Americans will try to avenge a 16½-11½ loss to Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup outside Rome.

European captain Luke Donald will announce his six captain’s choices on Sept. 1.

Masters winner Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Højgaard and Tyrrell Hatton have already made the team.


Tier I: Locks to make the team

Justin Thomas

The two-time PGA Championship winner has done enough this season to get back on the Ryder Cup team for a fourth time, and JT admitted that he’s far less anxious about his chances than in 2023, when his inclusion was controversial.

“I don’t think there’s adjectives to compare the two,” Thomas said. “I had three weeks to sweat it out, really. I knew I needed a lot of luck. I needed a lot more than I do right now, I would say. I feel a lot better about my chances, I would hope. It feels like forever ago, and I’m glad it does.”

Thomas ended a nearly three-year drought on tour when he won the RBC Heritage in a playoff on April 20. He was a three-time runner-up and had eight top 10s in 20 starts this season.

Thomas is one of America’s most accomplished match-play performers: He’s 17-7-4 in both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. He’ll have a new playing partner at Bethpage Black, as his good friend Jordan Spieth won’t make the team after coming back from wrist surgery this season.

Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay is only 15th in the Ryder Cup points standings, hasn’t won on tour in more than three years, and has dropped to 23rd in the Official World Golf Ranking.

That being said, like Thomas, Cantlay is a proven commodity in international match-play competitions. He was 5-2-1 in two previous Ryder Cups and is 10-4-0 in the Presidents Cup.

Cantlay was a bright spot for the Americans in their ugly loss outside Rome two years ago. Even as Cantlay was jeered by European fans for his alleged role in the “hat gate” controversy, he had a 2-2 record and showed “Patty Ice” nerves.

Cantlay had five top 10s and 10 top 25s in 19 starts this season, and his metrics suggest he should have done more. He ranks ninth on tour in strokes gained: total (1.057) and approach (.621). Cantlay performed better in the FedEx Cup playoffs with a tie for ninth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship and for second in the Tour Championship.


Tier II: Should be on the team

Keegan Bradley

It’s the million-dollar question and the linchpin decision that will determine the last one or two spots on the team: whether Bradley picks himself with one of his captain’s choices.

Bradley is arguably one of the top 12 American golfers right now, and Thomas and others have said they’d choose him if they were captain.

After previously saying he would only play if he were one of the six automatic qualifiers, Bradley changed his tune after beating a loaded field to win the Travelers Championship, a signature event. He tied for eighth at the PGA Championship and was in contention at the Tour Championship before running out of gas and tying for seventh.

Bradley should have been on the U.S. team in Rome. He’s from the Northeast and practiced at Bethpage Black while playing college golf at St. John’s. Even though he’s an avid Boston sports fan, New Yorkers would be rooting hard for him.

The question, obviously, is whether Bradley believes he can effectively lead the U.S. team while competing. At the same time, does he believe the Americans have a better chance of winning if he’s on the course?

Cameron Young

Young finally broke through with his first PGA Tour victory in the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 3 to get him back in the Ryder Cup mix. Then he followed that with three solid finishes in the FedEx Cup playoffs, finishing fifth in the St. Jude Championship, 11th in the BMW Championship and tying for fourth in the Tour Championship.

Young is one of the longest hitters off the tee on tour, averaging 313.6 yards, which is going to be important at Bethpage Black. Young’s iron play hasn’t been good — he ranks 125th in approach (-.175) — but he has transformed himself into one of the best putters in the world.

Young is a New York native who has enjoyed success in amateur events at Bethpage Black.


Tier III: On the bubble

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa is a two-time major champion and six-time winner on tour, and it would seem he’d be one of Bradley’s picks, given his success in team competitions (10-5-1 record in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup).

But Morikawa hasn’t won in nearly two years and admitted after the Tour Championship that his form isn’t great. He shuffled through caddies this past season. Morikawa’s results weren’t terrible: He was a two-time runner-up and had four top 10s and 12 top 25s in 19 starts.

“It’s definitely been in the back of my head,” Morikawa said of the Ryder Cup. “It’s hard to push it aside. I haven’t been playing great, but I think I’m a great asset to that team. Hopefully, I get a positive call from Keegan.”

Sam Burns

Burns is another golfer who was hot at the right time of the season with a tie for fourth in the BMW Championship and for seventh in the Tour Championship.

There’s one obvious reason to include Burns on the team: He’s one of the best putters in the world and leads the tour in strokes gained: putting (.924). His iron play held him back from doing more this season — he was 115th in strokes gained: approach (-.111) — but he could be a weapon on the greens with the right teammate.

“[I have] 100 percent trust in Keegan,” Burns said. “I know whatever decision he makes is going to be one that he thinks is best for the team. Ultimately, I’m Team USA. If I’m on the team, awesome. I would love nothing more. If I’m not, I’ll be rooting for them.”

Ben Griffin

Griffin’s breakthrough season on tour might have muddled the U.S. team’s plans. He paired with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event in April, then won the Charles Schwab Challenge on his own.

Griffin, 29, wasn’t done. He was runner-up at the Memorial, tied for eighth at the PGA Championship and for 10th at the U.S. Open. He had three top-12 finishes in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Griffin has given Bradley every reason to choose him. If Bradley picks himself, however, Griffin might be the first one out. Does the U.S. team want Bradley’s experience or another Ryder Cup rookie?

“It’s going to be an anxious 24 to 48 hours,” Griffin said. “I wouldn’t say stressful because I feel like I’m too blessed to be stressed. But definitely anxious just to see if I earned a spot on that team or not or if Keegan believes in me.

“I know I’ve been able to handle some big moments this season. I know I’ll be comfortable on that stage at Bethpage, and hopefully I can start practicing 48 hours from now and start getting ready for that Ryder Cup. That would be really cool, especially to represent the United States.”

Tier IV: Outside looking in

Brian Harman

Harman was a match-play wizard as an amateur and went 2-2 as a Ryder Cup rookie in Rome. He’s one of the best putters in the world when he’s hot. Harman won the Valero Texas Open in early April and is a former Open Championship winner.

Harman probably needed to do something special in the FedEx Cup playoffs to make the U.S. team, and it didn’t happen. He tied for 22nd in Memphis, 19th in Baltimore and 13th in Atlanta.

Maverick McNealy

McNealy, 29, is one of the rising stars on the PGA Tour and has climbed to 19th in the world rankings. He captured his first PGA Tour win in the RSM Classic in November and was runner-up at the Genesis Invitational in February.

McNealy might have gotten back in the Ryder Cup conversation with his solo third in the BMW Championship. The former world No. 1 amateur hasn’t yet competed in the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Andrew Novak

Novak enjoyed one heck of a heater in April when he tied for third in the Texas Open, lost to Thomas in a playoff in the RBC Heritage and won the Zurich Classic with Griffin.

Novak cooled off for a while, but he climbed to 13th in the Ryder Cup standings after tying for sixth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He struggled mightily in the BMW Championship and tied for 25th in the Tour Championship.



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