Keegan Bradley strolled across the sunlit fairways of Bethpage Black early Monday morning, soaking in the pristine beauty of the iconic New York golf course. The Ryder Cup 2025 venue looked sharper than ever, ready for the big showdown, even with empty grandstands waiting to fill up. As the U.S. team captain, Bradley knows this place like the back of his hand—he’s played it dozens of times and called it the best condition he’s ever seen.
But while his players teed off in their first practice round, Bradley watched from the sidelines, feeling a pang of regret. “I’ve thought about it every second,” he admitted during a press conference. He imagined walking those fairways with stars like Scottie Scheffler, competing for Team USA. Yet, he stuck with his tough choice: lead the team instead of swinging his club. “I’ve been called for a bigger cause,” Bradley said, “to help our guys play at the highest level.”
This decision hits hard for a golfer who’s been on fire this season. At 39, Bradley notched his best results in over a decade, with 11 top-25 finishes and six top-10s on the PGA Tour. He ended up 11th in U.S. Ryder Cup standings and eighth among Americans in world rankings. Only Scheffler has snagged more PGA Tour wins than Bradley’s two in the last 13 months, including a thrilling victory at the Travelers Championship in June.
That Travelers win stirred things up, according to U.S. vice captain Gary Woodland. “We kept telling Keegan, ‘You’re not making this easy on yourself’ because he was playing so well,” Woodland shared. “He’s poured his heart into this role. Sacrificing the chance to play—something he loves more than anything outside family—that’s true leadership.”
History backs up why captains rarely play. The last one to do both was Arnold Palmer back in 1963. The job demands endless off-course duties, from strategy sessions to media chats, leaving little room for personal prep. Bradley appreciates the freedom. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed being captain,” he said. “No worrying about sleep, practice times, or coaching meetings—it simplified everything.”
Bradley knows heartbreak from the Ryder Cup world. Two years ago, captain Zach Johnson left him off the 2023 team, a snub caught on Netflix’s “Full Swing” docuseries. Players with fewer points got the nod instead. Bradley had suited up for Team USA in 2012 and 2014, and Bethpage—where he honed his skills as a St. John’s alum—seemed like the perfect shot at redemption.
Vice captain Webb Simpson recalls giving Bradley the go-ahead. “We told him, ‘You’re one of the best 12 players, so decide what feels right,'” Simpson said. “As captain, he still has a massive impact, even without scoring points himself.” Looking ahead, Simpson predicts Bradley will see this as the right call. “If he leads us to victory, it’ll mean more than any player win ever could.”
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