Keegan Bradley may not be playing in the 2025 Procore Championship, but he is nevertheless in attendance making news of his own. Shepherding his United States Ryder Cup team around the first event of the FedEx Cup Fall, the American captain is taking a hands-on approach as 10 of his 12 players are set to tee it up in their final competitive tournament before the big-time event.
Bradley has been on site this week with U.S. vice captains Jim Furyk, Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker overseeing practice rounds. Leadership plans to stay in a house together to keep an eye on their golfers throughout the week.
LIV Golf member Bryson DeChambeau traveled to Napa, California, to participate in team activities (like meals) away from the golf course as he is unable to play in the event.
The team building aspect is paramount for the red, white and blue as it gears up for the festivities in two weeks’ time.
Looking at the tee sheet for the first two rounds of the Procore Championship, there are many pairings that may translate to Bethpage Black if one reads between the lines.
“We’re 90%, I’d say,” Bradley said of knowing his partner assignments for Bethpage Black. “One of our goals was to have the guys prepared, ready to know who they’re playing with. Especially in alternate shot, I think that’s more important. Best ball, you can have a little more leeway there, but we’re pretty set here with what we’re going to do.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is paired with Russell Henley, with whom he teamed at last year’s Presidents Cup, as well as J.J. Spaun. Collin Morikawa is alongside Harris English, with whom he played a practice round, as well as Simpson. Patrick Cantlay’s typical partner, Xander Schauffele, is not playing due to the birth of his first child; Cantlay will play the first two rounds with Sam Burns and Woodland, while Justin Thomas, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young will share a walk on Thursday and Friday.
Bradley decided to begin the Ryder Cup with foursomes Friday morning as the home captain has the choice of cadence with each playing format. The home team has held an edge in foursomes across each of the last two Ryder Cups with Europe going 7-1-0 in 2023 and the U.S. going 6-2-0 at Whistling Straits.
This schedule has proven beneficial to the U.S., which it owns a 9-3-1 record in Ryder Cups where foursomes led off play Friday and Saturday.
“Foursomes is obviously the tougher format to pair because there’s so many more factors,” Bradley said. “There’s the golf ball. You really want to match up the personalities with foursomes because it is a way tougher format. When you’re on the road, it’s much more comforting to have a best ball partner. So, when you’re on the road and you’re standing on that first tee by yourself in that alternate shot [format it’s] much tougher, so I think that would be the reason. It’s also easier to play better at home seems like over the last 30 years.
“But foursomes is — we have some history in some of the pairings. We also have a bunch of new guys, and it’s been great to see the willingness for our guys to really play with anybody. Again, I don’t necessarily feel like we’ve had that in the past teams that I’ve had. These guys [have said], ‘Put me with anybody,’ or [answered when asked] who do you want to play with, ‘Whoever you want.’ Willing veterans coming to us saying ‘put us with guys that haven’t played a Ryder Cup,’ which is really special. It’s a big … difference maker in how you’re going to do it in the Ryder Cup.”
Bradley’s historic foursomes pairings include Scheffler and Henley from Royal Montreal last fall as well as Schauffele and Cantlay. His most experienced player, Thomas, will be without his usual partner, Jordan Spieth, as the two have paired up in all five of Thomas’ foursomes matches in the Ryder Cup. That leaves the two-time PGA Championship winner open for a new right-hand man. DeChambeau’s golf ball and game is a puzzle piece Bradley will have to place correctly.
Ultimately, how Bradley decides to fill out the back half of his lineup in the morning sessions may be enough to tip the scales one way or another given the importance of fast starts in the Ryder Cup. While he may be 90% of the way there in terms of how he utilizes his players, Bradley still has a couple of weeks to figure out the last 10%.