United States Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley made his highly anticipated selections Wednesday, and, to the surprise of some, did not choose himself to be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Bradley decided that being a full-time captain was more important to the success of the U.S. team than playing was. Picking himself meant there would be another deserving player left at home, and Bradley's form, while good enough to be considered for the team, wasn't drastically better than any of the other candidates.
You could argue both sides: Bradley acting as a playing captain may have provided a huge spark to the raucous crowd at Bethpage. It also would've distracted him from his duty to lead the team.
Bradley was put in a tricky position by being named the 2025 captain while still competing at a very high level. When he accepted the captaincy, he said he would only play if he managed to qualify automatically. Despite winning the Travelers Championship and having a strong finish to the 2025 season, Bradley kept his word, which must have been a tough pill to swallow, especially after his heartbreaking omission from the 2023 team was shared so publicly on Netflix's "Full Swing" docuseries.
While it was a difficult one to make, sitting out is the correct decision. By calling his own number, Bradley would be piling immense pressure on himself during an event that already carries a ton of weight. He only finished 11th on the points list, which wasn't quite high enough for him to go against his word and pick himself. There were also a couple of Americans who turned it on late and played their way onto the team.
It's unfortunate to think that if the captain were anybody else, Bradley would likely be representing the United States, something he's dreamed of doing again since his last Ryder Cup appearance in 2014. But instead, he put the team first and did what he thought was best to help the Americans win.
Bradley's captaincy and picks will ultimately be judged once the Ryder Cup is decided, and his choice to sit out will only be scrutinized if the U.S. loses at home.
For now, we can analyze the six players Bradley selected ahead of himself to assemble the best possible U.S. team to host the Europeans in late September.
First, here were the six automatic qualifiers:
- Scottie Scheffler
- J.J. Spaun
- Xander Schauffele
- Russell Henley
- Harris English
- Bryson DeChambeau
Justin Thomas
Bradley had two no-brainer selections, and Justin Thomas was one of them. He's been a stalwart for the U.S. in recent team events and has played well this season. Thomas finished seventh on the points list, a few hundred points short of qualifying automatically.
When playing well, Thomas can be the heartbeat for the American side. There was zero chance Bradley would leave him off the team.
Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay was another layup for Bradley. He's as steady as they come and thrives in team environments. Plus, his no-hat antics were the focal point of all the tension between the two sides at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.
His playing style makes it easy for him to partner with anyone, and he has dominated alongside Xander Schauffele in recent team competitions. Yes, his results in major championships this year have been underwhelming, and that's why he sits 15th on the points list, but his recent form is too good to ignore.
Cantlay placed inside the top 15 in six of his final 11 tournaments, all of which came in signature or playoff events. He's played in two Ryder Cups, holding a 5-2-1 record, and three Presidents Cups. This will be Cantlay's sixth straight appearance for an American team.
Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa's 2025 form didn't earn him a spot on the team. Rather, it was his career resume and pedigree as one of the best American golfers in the world that gave him the edge over Bradley.
It may have felt strange to leave Morikawa at home, but it would have been with good reason. He's not a great course fit for Bethpage Black and only has one top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since the beginning of April.
Even though Morikawa finished eighth on the points list, thanks to his play in 2024, this was likely Bradley's riskiest pick and one that, despite the upside, could backfire if Morikawa doesn't find his game before Sept. 26.
Cameron Young
Cameron Young's late-season emergence is likely why Bradley didn't choose himself. Young won the Wyndham Championship and played well throughout the playoffs, a run of form that was too good to ignore.
Young is a fantastic course fit for the big, brawny Bethpage Black layout. He brings power off the tee that a lot of Americans lack and can go toe-to-toe with the elite bombers on the European side.
This will be Young's first Ryder Cup appearance, but he did play on the 2022 Presidents Cup team.
Sam Burns
Sam Burns was another player on the bubble, but he forced Bradley's hand due to a nice run of results in June and back-to-back top-10 finishes to close out the playoffs.
Like Young, Burns fills a need on the American side as a power player who can match up with the longer hitters on the European side. Outside of Bryson DeChambeau, the U.S. has lacked the power it possessed when Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Tony Finau were staples on American teams.
Burns is also one of the best putters in the world, which is even more important in match-play format than it is during a 72-hole, stroke-play tournament.
Ben Griffin
Ben Griffin joins J.J. Spaun as the two Americans with zero previous team competition experience. Griffin may not be a household name, but his play over the past few months has been some of the best in the world.
Since finishing eighth at the 2025 PGA Championship, Griffin played 10 times and placed inside the top 15 on eight occasions, including a win at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T2 at the Memorial Tournament. He finished the year ranked sixth on the PGA TOUR in scoring average and seventh in strokes gained: total.
He doesn't have the pedigree of his American teammates, but it would have been a mistake to leave Griffin off the roster.
