Keegan Bradley was a surprise pick as captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup, but he has handled it well so far. The next few days will go a long way toward defining his tenure, though the early signs have been positive.
The announcement that Bradley would be leading Team USA at Bethpage Black caught just about everyone off guard. Even with Tiger Woods having turned down the role and questions swirling over who might step in, few expected the 39-year-old to get the nod.
He had been playing some of his best golf around that time. His disappointment over missing out on a 2023 pick was made clear in Full Swing, which only added to the support for him to earn a spot on the team in New York.
Bubba Watson backs Keegan Bradley’s call to focus solely on captaincy
Keegan Bradley choosing not to play at the 2025 Ryder Cup was not a total shock. While there were always questions about whether he might become a playing captain, he held off on addressing it until he announced his picks.
The Vermont native had played well enough to stay in the conversation, too, winning the Travelers Championship and looking sharp again during the Tour Championship. But in the end, he chose to keep his attention solely on his role as captain.
Bubba Watson, who played with Bradley in both 2012 and 2014, shared his great respect for Bradley’s handling of the situation during an appearance on Dan on Golf.
“I think it’s amazing that he didn’t play. I think he honoured his commitment, it takes a special man to do that and I think that was awesome.”
Watson went on: “Does he want to play? 100 percent. There is a lot going on in between days and rounds because you have to pick the team that’s going out. What if some guy doesn’t feel his best? What if some guy is hurt? There’s a lot of things that happen behind closed doors that the media or the public doesn’t know. There’s things going on in people’s lives. There’s just so much going on that you have to dictate what’s going on, you might have to address the media in certain ways so that people don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.
“So yeah, there’s a lot going on for a captain. He’s put roughly two years into this, why would he not want to be the captain and be a part of this and let some other young player have that spot on the team?”
Keegan Bradley’s decision not to pick himself and his comments on the move
Regardless of what he chose, Bradley was always going to have the support of his team. Many players were open about wanting him to play as more than just a captain.
Even so, his decision to step aside is worth recognising. Watson pointed out that Bradley had already hinted in his first press conference, back in 2024, that he would not pick himself.
“No, I will either make the team on points, I’m not going to pick myself.
“The only way that would happen is if the team was insisting on it, but even if they did, I don’t see that happening. I want to make the team on points; otherwise, I’m going to be the captain.”
It was not an easy situation for Bradley. He played well enough to be considered, but perhaps not well enough to guarantee his own selection.
Still, it gave him a chance to demonstrate strong leadership qualities.
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