USA captain Keegan Bradley has made the surprising decision not to select himself as a playing captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup. The world number 11 announced his five wildcard picks on Wednesday, prioritising his captaincy role over personal playing ambitions.
Bradley chose Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young as his wildcard selections. The decision ends months of speculation about whether he would attempt to become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Team-first mentality
"The decision was made a while ago that I wasn't playing," Bradley said at a press conference at the PGA of America headquarters in Texas. "I know 100 per cent that this is best for the team."
The 39-year-old admitted he considered selecting himself after winning the Travelers Championship in June. However, he managed only one top-10 finish in his subsequent six events, finishing tied seventh at the Tour Championship on Sunday.
Captaincy over playing
Bradley emphasised his commitment to the captaincy role over personal playing desires. "I was chosen to do a job - to captain the team," he said. "I have said over and over again I would do what is best for the team and that is what I have done."
His omission from the 2023 Ryder Cup team was documented in the Netflix Full Swing series. "I grew up wanting to play in the Ryder Cup," Bradley reflected. "It broke my heart not to play."
Strong wildcard selections
Justin Thomas, who will play his fourth Ryder Cup, supported Bradley's decision. "I would say him leading us to victory would be cooler than anything he could do as a player," Thomas said.
The six automatic qualifiers include world number one Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and J.J. Spaun. According to The Guardian, notable absentees from the US team include Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka.
Ryder Cup preparations
European captain Luke Donald will announce his six wildcard picks on Monday, September 1st. The 2025 Ryder Cup takes place from September 23-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
Bradley was a surprise appointment as captain after Tiger Woods declined the role. The decision reflects the modern impossibility of combining both roles effectively in professional golf's premier team competition.
Sources used: "Mirror", "Guardian", "Metro", "Independent", "Evening Standard" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
