“Biggest Decision of My Life,” Keegan Bradley Dubs 2025 Ryder Cup Selection As “Very Difficult” Amid Chance of Being Playing Captain

Keegan Bradley will have to make his 6 picks for the Ryder Cup following the conclusion of the 2025 Tour Championship.

“Biggest Decision of My Life,” Keegan Bradley Dubs 2025 Ryder Cup Selection As “Very Difficult” Amid Chance of Being Playing Captain

Keegan Bradley (Image via Imago)

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Keegan Bradley is going through a massive dilemma at the moment. The U.S. Ryder Cup captain will soon have to announce the 6 remaining picks of this team. This comes at a time when he himself has a chance to being a playing captain at the Bethpage Course in New York next month.

Following the conclusion of the BMW Championship this past Sunday, the three remaining automatic spots were filled. Russell Henley, Harris English, and Bryson DeChambeau joined J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler as the 6 golfers who automatically qualified for the event through the standings.

After the Tour Championship, Bradley will have to make a decision. The 8-time PGA Tour winner, who was appointed as the captain last year, will have to pick 6 players from the standings to make up the 12-man squad to face Team Europe.

The 39-year-old is in contention himself. Following his 2nd win in 3 years at the Travelers Championship, Bradley expressed that his win changed everything for him. On Friday, the 2011 PGA Championship winner fired a bogey-free 64 to get into contention at the Tour Championship as well.

In the post-round interview, Bradley was asked about his feelings regarding the massive decision. He would dub the selection process as the “biggest decision” of his life.

I’m ready for it. I know this is the biggest decision of my life… It’s very difficult… I’m having a really hard time separating right now my captaincy and my playing. For the past month it’s been like this, but this week I’m trying so hard. But that’s all I’m thinking about. Thinking about pairings, certain things I want to say to the guys during the week. It’s just difficult

Keegan Bradley said

Bradley now has the chance to do something that has not been done in over 6 decades. If he selects himself as one of the 6 picks and becomes the playing captain for Team USA, he would become the first player to take this role since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

The late great captained Team USA in 1963 against Great Britain and led them to a 23-9 victory over them. Since then, nobody has taken the playing captain role in this biennial event.

Former Ryder Cup captains give their verdict on Keegan Bradley taking the role of playing captain

As the days for the 2025 Ryder Cup get closer, several golf fans are eager to hear about the decision of Keegan Bradley. Before he makes his pick, former Ryder Cup captains recently gave their verdict regarding him taking the role of playing captain.

Keegan Bradley
Keegan Bradley (Image via Imago)

In a Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Former European Ryder Cup captains Sam Torrance and Sir Nick Faldo discussed the chances of Bradley captaining the team and playing as well. In this, Torrance claimed that the American simply cannot do both roles at the same time.

It would be the worst decision a captain has ever made if he was a playing captain. I don’t believe you can do it.

Sam Torrance said

The victorious captain from 2002 went on to further explain the duties he would have to take, which would make things difficult for him. He later claimed that Bradley should hand over his captaincy to Jim Furyk, one of his assistant captains, if he selects himself as one of the 6 picks.

Faldo would agree with this point from Torrance. The 6-time major champion pointed out that people could call him “selfish” and blame him if the team ends up losing.

If he plays, then the fans will say ‘you’re being selfish’, and then the media will say you’ve lost because you haven’t done your duties, then you live in regret for the rest of your life.

Sir Nick Faldo said

Keegan Bradley has been part of the Ryder Cup as a player on 2 occasions in 2012 and 2014. He was in contention in 2023 but was not picked by then-captain Zach Johnson and was forced to watch from the sidelines.

Team USA would go on to suffer a crushing defeat by Team Europe at the Marco Simone Course in Italy. Following the loss, Johnson was replaced as the captain. While there had been some rumors of Tiger Woods being the potential captain in 2025, the role would eventually go to Bradley.

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