For a man whose relationship with the Ryder Cup remains incredibly complex, Keegan Bradley made a straightforward decision Wednesday when he left his name off the United States roster that is set to take center stage next month at Bethpage Black. The 39-year-old captain chose country and team over his personal desires in an act of selflessness that appears simpler on paper than in practice.
“This was a really tough decision,” Bradley said. “I would say there was a point this year where I was [planning on] playing, a while ago, and all these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way on to this team. That’s something that I’m really proud of and something that I really wanted. It was an extremely difficult decision but one that I’m really happy with. I’m really happy with these six players, and I’m glad it’s over.”
Bradley history with the Ryder Cup is well-documented and not necessarily fun to relive.
In 2012, he automatically qualified for his first Ryder Cup at Medinah. Starry-eyed and excited, Bradley experienced smooth sailing the first two days as he partnered with Phil Mickelson to electric results. The U.S. flag could not have flown onto the scoreboard any quicker if it was possible. The duo won in the opening foursomes session 4&3 over Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia. Another 2&1 victory came that afternoon over the Northern Ireland tandem of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. They made it three wins in a row the following day with a 7&6 drubbing of Donald and Lee Westwood.
U.S. was on fire, and while Bradley did not know it at a time, that was the peak of his Ryder Cup experience as a player. After sitting the Saturday afternoon session, he lost 2&1 to a rushed McIlroy in Sunday singles. The U.S. entered the final day with a commanding 10 to 6 lead yet exited the event with slumped shoulders and heads as the Europeans put together one of the greatest comebacks in Ryder Cup history — “the Miracle at Medinah” — to win 14.5-13.5.
The week changed Bradley forever. He never unpacked his suitcase from 2012, which he shared it on social media 11 years later following the disappointment of not being selected for the 2023 team in Rome.
In 2014, Bradley got another crack as a captain’s pick, but it was a relatively uncompetitive affair for the Americans. He played in the first two sessions, didn’t touch the golf course on Day 2 and lost the deciding point in singles to Jamie Donaldson, who raised his hands in the air and was engulfed by his fellow Europeans when he clinched the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles with a 5&3 victory.
Bradley hoped next time would be different. More than a decade later, there has yet to be a next time. Instead, he turned into Ryder Cup folklore of sorts. Neither his partnership with Mickelson nor his passion and energy for the event have been regularly duplicated.
In 2023, Bradley worked his name back into the same sentence as the Ryder Cup with serious consideration given to him being selected for the team, nine years after his last opportunity. A couple wins that season livened his candidacy, putting the ball in then captain Zach Johnson’s court as to whether to choose Bradley, who ranked 11th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings.
Johnson’s decision to leave Bradley off the team — choosing three players ranked below him who Johnson believed were better fits due to off-course relationships — was caught on camera for all golf fans to see in the first year of the “Full Swing” documentary. Bradley was crushed emotionally.
Ironically, if not for Johnson’s decision and Bradley’s reaction, the PGA of America may not have chosen the latter to be the American captain in 2025. That’s what made his decision Wednesday all the more remarkable.
“I grew up wanting to play Ryder Cups,” Bradley said. “I grew up wanting to fight alongside these guys. It broke my heart not to play [in 2023]. It really did. You work forever to make these teams, but ultimately, I was chosen to do a job. I was chosen to be the captain of this team. My ultimate goal to start this thing was to be the best captain that I could be. This is how I felt like I could do this.
“If we got to this point and I felt like the team was better with me on it, I was going to do that. I was going to do whatever I thought was best for this team. I know 100% for certain that this is the right choice, and these six guys played so incredibly coming down the stretch here and made my decision a lot easier.”
Bradley played well enough to be on the 2023 team, and he played well enough to be on the 2025 team, too, again finishing 11th in the standings with two wins on the season. The only source telling him not to play was the 6 inches between his ears.
It’s an act of unselfishness not normally seen in sports, especially individualized ones like golf. Bradley stuffed down his personal desires and summoned the strength of conviction.
“I know he’s gutted, and I think all of us are gutted for him,” captain’s pick Justin Thomas said. “But at the same time, I would say him leading us to a victory will be cooler than any experience he could have as a player, and that’s probably what he feels like is best for us. So, we have all the faith in the world, and we don’t doubt him for one second for that.”
No one would have blamed Bradley had he picked himself for the team. (In fact, many are perplexed he did not.) He earned it on merit, experience and desire.
Even on the sideline, Bradley will star from Sept. 26-28 as the main character of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
His relationship with this event may have blurred the last few years, but his motives remained clear as day. He cares, first and foremost, about the United States beating Europe.
Bradley believes the Americans’ best opportunity to win is with him directing the action without a club in his hand. That conviction and trust in their talent should only inspire the 12 players he will be leading into battle.
“I don’t care how it works out,” Bradley said. “As long as we win on Sunday.”