2025 Ryder Cup: Keegan Bradley named United States captain after Tiger Woods turns role down
Keegan Bradley, 38, was named United States captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup by the PGA of America on Monday. Bradley assumes the role just over a year before the red, white and blue challenge Europe at Bethpage Black next September seeking to bring the Ryder Cup trophy back to the United States after the Americans gave it away in 2023. “I am honored to accept the opportunity to serve as captain of Team USA at the 2025 Ryder Cup,” Bradley said in a statement. My passion and appreciation for golf’s greatest team competition has never been stronger. The Ryder Cup is unlike any other in the sport, and this edition is sure to be special given the rich history and passionate crowds on this iconic course.
Bradley’s promotion to captain comes after a dramatic 2023 Ryder Cup in which he was removed from the team as a player. He won two games and finished 11th in the qualifying round for the 2023 PGA Tour season, and was selected as one of six team captains, overtaken by then-captain Zach Johnson.
“When I got on the phone and saw how Zach (Johnson) reacted, I knew I wasn’t part of the team. … I’m really disappointed,” Bradley told Golf Channel at the time. “I think I had a very good year with two wins, including in Hartford against an elite field. I am proud of what I did. … I think [Justin Thomas] is a generational talent. … I\’ve always been an outsider in the sport, but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team. … I feel like I should automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup in the future.
Bradley has played in two Ryder Cups but hasn’t been on the team since 2014. It was an overwhelming development for players who lived and breathed in the event and searched for more than 10 years. Bradley was a member of the last American team that lost his home country in 2012 and later called the Medina miracle. The six-time PGA Tour winner went 4-3-0 in his Ryder Cup appearances.
“We are proud and excited to name Keegan Bradley captain of the U.S. 2025 Ryder Cup team,” said John Lindert, president of the PGA of America. \ “Keagan \’s past rider cup experience, strong relationship with this event, and unwavering passion will prove that he will be very valuable because he will lead the US team for next year. We compete on the same confidence and determination to define your career.
According to Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated \, Tiger Woods was first suggested for its role, but refused. Woods had long seemed like the obvious choice to become captain given his experience as a player and assistant in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, but Tiger ultimately withdrew from the race around the same time PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh announced he would not be staying on, according to SI. Bradley turns 39 on the eve of the tournament, making him the youngest American Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer, 34, in 1963.
“I basically think about the Ryder Cup every waking second,” Bradley said before last year’s BMW Championship. “The most important thing for me right now is to try not to think about that when I’m playing because that’s what’s important to me. I feel like I can bring experience to the team.” I personally want to participate in the team with this young group. \ “
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