In 2024, shortly after the announcement, Keegan Bradley, the captain of the U.S. team for the 2025 Ryder Cup, emotionally said, “I remember thinking when we’re watching the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, I’m thinking, ‘I’m never going to get to do this again.’ It was a bummer.” And it was a huge deal. For almost a decade since his showing at the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2014, he had not represented the U.S.A. in any team event. Then, the then CEO of the PGA of America, Seth Waugh, complicated the matter and planted a seed in Bradley’s head: “What if you become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer?”
And that’s when the trouble began, or at least that’s what the golf world believes. And, maybe, even Keegan Bradley. Currently absent from the upcoming 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, Bradley sat down for an interview on 5 Clubs with Gary Williams. Talking about the recent discussion around his potential role as a playing captain at Bethpage, Bradley said, “Yeah, I, I didn’t even think much of it when I, when I said it. I, I, I wasn’t trying to keep that quiet. I just never said it for some reason. I probably shouldn’t have. I, I, I see it’s made a bit of some news.”
Currently inside the top 10 of the Ryder Cup standings (9th), Bradley made a startling admission at the 2025 Travelers Championship: “The first thing he [Seth Waugh] said was ‘we want you to be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer’, which is a heavy burden.” Following his remark, Sky Sports‘ Jamie Weir said, “That was the first time I had heard him admit that and I was like really why? I just don’t think in this day and age it is possible to do both.”
So, there has indeed been plenty of news regarding the situation. Now, Keegan Bradley continues, “But, you know, I, I think it was important for them to, ’cause part of it was, was a little bit, I was like, “Wait a second here. I’m, I’m still trying to play. I’m still, like, I’m still in the, what I think of the prime of my career. I’m not trying to, you know, normally this role is for someone who’s done playing.” However, he continued, “And so, there’s no difference here when I start this year. It’s like I want to play on this team, and, um, it’s just a very unique situation that I’m in.”
And here’s the thing: Keegan Bradley is on a roll, with four top-10 finishes leading up to his breakthrough win at the 2025 Travelers Championship. Over the past 10 months, he’s secured two victories against top competition, and among those ranked higher in the Ryder Cup standings, only Scottie Scheffler has more wins since August. And a strong performance at The Open Championship could further bolster his case for a playing-captain role. But, hey, while we wait for that, here’s what the Tour pros are saying about the situation.
The PGA Tour pros are rallying behind Keegan Bradley
The last time an American captain played on the Ryder Cup team was Arnold Palmer in 1963. Back then, the event was much smaller, with less media scrutiny and fewer demands on the captain’s role. In contrast, today’s captain must juggle player pairings, strategy, media obligations, and more, making a playing-captain role a significant challenge. In short, it may as well be a logistical nightmare. However, despite that, several Tour pros have shown their support for Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup mission.
Early this month, Jordan Spieth said of this opportunity, “If he’s playing as a top 12 American player, then he should be on that team… for the betterment of the team. I think he deserves it right now.” Before that, another PGA Tour pro, Billy Horschel, showed support for Bradley. During an interview on Dan on Golf, Horschel said, “I hope he does pick himself if he’s close enough to make it on points because… he deserves to be on that team and I understand he’s got a lot on his plate. He’s doing a great job as a captain, and I believe that you’ve got great assistant captains.”
Of course, the presence of five vice-captains is likely to boost his chances. Following his last week’s announcement, the U.S. team now boasts five vice-captains for the 2025 Ryder Cup: Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner, Jim Furyk, Webb Simpson, and now Gary Woodland. So, will Keegan Bradley finally do the unimaginable at the 2025 Ryder Cup all the while ensuring the American team captures the Bethpage Black win? Well, we can only hope so!
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