As Team USA narrows its focus on the 2025 Ryder Cup showdown at Bethpage Black this September, the question of who will round out Captain Keegan Bradley’s squad has taken center stage. While stalwarts like world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler are locks, debates rage over fringe contenders, especially those from LIV Golf. Chief among them: Patrick Reed, recent LIV Golf Dallas winner. Reed’s recent victory in Texas, his first individual LIV title, has thrust his name back into Ryder Cup contention. Statistically, he’s climbed back into the top 30, per Data Golf, with consistent form across LIV’s 2025 season. But while his resume reads well—9 PGA Tour wins, a 7–3 Ryder Cup record—his off-course legacy continues to divide opinion in the team room discussion.
Captain Keegan Bradley has publicly committed to selecting “the 12 best Americans” regardless of tour affiliation. Bradley was part of Jim Furyk’s Presidents Cup team in 2024—a group praised for its inclusive, family-first atmosphere that included spouses and caddies as integral parts of the team dynamic. He wishes to create something similar.
Bradley’s likely core includes the likes of Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau’s dominant long game put him firmly in the mix. These are players who not only bring form but also fit into Bradley’s vision of a unified team. And that’s where the recent Golf Today interview offers a sharp counterpoint to the statistical case for Patrick Reed.
Veteran analyst Eamon Lynch didn’t mince words when discussing Reed’s candidacy. In response to Reed’s win at LIV Dallas, Lynch said, “So, the idea, if you’re Keegan Bradley and you have a deep bench on your team, the idea of introducing toxicity into the team room makes no sense whatsoever.” He added, “And it doesn’t get much more toxic than Team Reed in golf.” And finally, as a European, Lynch concluded with cutting irony: “The idea of introducing that into a team room when you don’t need it just seems to me so outlandish, but I do hope as a European that it happens.”
Could we see Patrick Reed on the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage?@RyanLavnerGC @eamonlynch pic.twitter.com/snQRKTgDEB
— Golf Today (@GCGolfToday) June 30, 2025
Lynch’s comments reflect more than personal bias—they echo a long-standing tension around Reed’s presence in team competitions. Following the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, Reed publicly criticized then-captain Jim Furyk and lamented being split from Jordan Spieth, a pairing that had gone 4–1–2 in prior Cups. That post-event blowup shattered the tight-lipped norm of Ryder Cup dynamics and painted Reed as a divisive figure. Even Reed’s past teammates have hinted at discomfort.
His nickname “Captain America” may suit his fiery on-course presence, but off the course, his brashness and solo-minded approach have often stood at odds with the collaborative chemistry that captains prize. As Lynch emphasized, Reed isn’t being evaluated solely on stats—teamroom tolerance is a factor, whether publicly acknowledged or not.
Still, Ryan Lavner—co-host of the segment—acknowledged that statistically, Reed belongs in the conversation. “He’s right in that category of a Harris English, a Mav McNealy, and an Andrew Novak,” Lavner said. And Bradley, despite his past frustrations with not being part of the “boys’ network,” has stated he’ll evaluate players based on merit. But as Lynch dryly noted, captains typically choose “the 12 best that they’re willing to tolerate.” That said, for all the talk about chemistry and character, Reed’s game is doing much of the talking right now, and his recent win in Dallas has only added fuel to the debate.
Portrush is the last opportunity for Patrick Reed
Reed’s LIV Golf Dallas win was a significant pivot in his 2025 season. It wasn’t just his first LIV victory—it was his first pro win in Texas, and it came after holing a clutch 16½-foot birdie in a four-man playoff. The triumph catapulted him to 4th in the LIV Golf standings and reignited talk of a Ryder Cup return.
This win marked a return to form after a string of consistent but winless performances. It also gave Reed a stronger footing in arguments about the best Americans, since comparable players like English or Novak haven’t cracked a win column recently. But critics note that LIV events aren’t yet equivalent to the rigor of majors or PGA Tour fields.
That’s why the upcoming 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush (July 17–20) looms large. “I think it’s going to come down to how he plays at the Open Championship, the last opportunity for Patrick Reed to play against all of the best players in the world, not just some of them,” Lavner noted.
Reed has a respectable Open history and a knack for windy conditions. A top-10 finish at Portrush would likely force Bradley’s hand. But anything less may affirm the prevailing sentiment: that Reed, despite his numbers, brings more risk than reward to a team chasing harmony at Bethpage.
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