OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Scottie Scheffler’s position on the United States Ryder Cup team has never been in doubt. The world No. 1 locked up his automatic qualifying spot early in the summer, and he will serve as captain Keegan Bradley’s ace at Bethpage Black this September.
As Bradley narrows his all-important captain’s picks, a unique conundrum has presented itself. Bradley is 10th in the Ryder Cup points list, making for himself a strong case to be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Bradley insists he has yet to make that decision, but as the 2025 BMW Championship brings the top 50 together for the PGA Tour’s penultimate event, it’s the topic on everyone’s mind.
Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler gave Bradley an emphatic vote of confidence saying he deserves to play in New York, while Rory McIlroy cast doubts on whether someone can be successful as a playing captain (while also noting Bradley has been one of the 12 best American golfers this year).
Scheffler was asked whether Bradley should serve a dual role on the team, and while he directed that question to the captain himself, the top golfer in the world offered his vote of confidence for Bradley, saying the team would embrace whatever decision he makes.
“You’re going to have to ask the captain that question,” Scheffler said with a smile on Wednesday. “Looking at our squad, I think we have a really good group of guys. Keegan can only help that. If it’s something that Keegan wants to be part of the team and wants to play, he’s a guy we’d all love to have on the team. The intensity that he’s brought as a captain, he has definitely exceeded my expectations so far as a captain. He’s done a great job. He’s passionate about the Ryder Cup. He cares a lot about us as players, and it’s been a lot of fun watching him develop in this role.”
Scheffler is particularly appreciative of Bradley’s presence as an every-day player on Tour, noting that it’s built a closer bond with the U.S. players just by nature of him playing alongside them every week.
“He leaves some messages in our locker every now and then. A lot of text messages,” Scheffler said. “I just feel like, since Keegan is out here a lot, versus some of the other captains we’ve had in the past — it’s not that they did a bad job. It’s just different having him here week in, week out. He’s a guy that we know well.
“I loved all our previous captains, but I think it’s just different when we’re showing up and he’s like, ‘Hey, you want to play a practice round this week?’ You know, we see him in dining, he’s just around a lot more. And so there’s more opportunities for him to be kind of a part of our lives out here, and that’s really important as he steps into that captain role, knowing the players as well as he does.”
That connection is something Bradley has worked hard to cultivate, noting he was long a “closed off” player with his peers but has really enjoyed building more meaningful relationships with players on the team. The result hasn’t just been for the benefit of the group — which he feels is more cohesive than in the past — or himself as a captain but for his game as well.
“I think an advantage that I’ve had as captain is I’m around the guys. I’m around the guys in practice rounds, in locker rooms, waiting in rain delays,” Bradley explained. “I saw J.J. Spaun at the U.S. Open in this rain delay, and I’m looking at him, and I just like — it didn’t seem like he was in this position to win the U.S. Open. Seemed like we were there in a practice round. He’s joking around. I remember thinking, this guy, he’s a killer. It’s crazy. I’d be pacing around outside or whatever, so just seeing that.
“More importantly, getting to know the guys, it’s really forced me to really get to know them. They’ve impacted my career, and one of the reasons why I’ve had a better last couple years is just getting to know them and getting to learn how they go about their career. It’s just so much different than mine.”
For all the weight that comes with being a full-time player and Ryder Cup captain, Bradley has handled it well and seems to have endeared himself to the rest of the team. Those relationships will pay off when it comes time for Bradley to make his decision, as the rest of the U.S. players seem to have full trust in Bradley and would embrace him as a playing captain.
That’s not an easy needle to thread, but the groundwork Bradley has laid throughout the year has endeared him to this United States squad, and perhaps most crucially, the best player on the team.