Keegan Bradley is the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black

Mickelson salutes after hitting the ninth hole during the second round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Tiger Woods looks down at his tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the U.S. Open, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Frank Franklin II – Press Representative

ARCHIVE – In this Sept. 25, 2012 file photo, from left, Team USA players Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, Tiger Woods and Captain Davis Love III pose for a trophy photo op during the Ryder Cup golf tournament at Medina Country Club in Medina, Illinois. On Monday, July 8, 2024, the PGA of America announced that Bradley has been selected as the U.S. Ryder Cup Captain for 2025.

Chris Carlson – Staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE – American Keegan Bradley celebrates after winning a four-way match on the 15th hole of the Ryder Cup golf tournament on Friday, Sept. 19. At Medina Country Club in Medina, Illinois, on December 28, 2012. Bradley has been selected as the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, the PGA of America announced on Monday, July 8, 2024. CHARLIE RIEDEL – ASSOCIATED PRESS STAFF

FILE – Keegan Bradley of the United States reacts after hitting the ninth hole during a four-way match at the Ryder Cup golf tournament at Medina Country Club in Medina, Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. Bradley was chosen as captain of the American Cup in 2025, PGA of America announced on Monday July 8, 2024.

File – Kigan Bradley was subjected to the first hole in the third round of the PGA golf champion golf at the Linen Club Valhalla, Saturday May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Kai. PGA America announced on Monday July 8, 2024.

There is no doubt that Kigan Bradley will make another rider cup team as an American captain this time. PGA America has announced his choice on Monday after acquiring a few months of conversation with Tiger Woods. After reports began leaking earlier today that Bradley, who has only played on two Ryder Cup teams and never served as an assistant captain, had been selected as Bethpage Black’s match director for 2025, the PGA of America posted the news on Instagram: “In New York. Bradley has already been in New York for a media training session and is scheduled to hold a press conference to introduce himself at noon on Tuesday at the Nasdaq Building. At 38, he will be the youngest American captain since Arnold Palmer captained East Lake in 1963.

Sports Illustrated first reported that Bradley would be the next captain. Woods is the leading candidate for the Ryder Cup committee and has been in negotiations for months about what the job would entail and whether he would have the time to fulfill the responsibilities, which also include promoting the tournament.

Woods plays a limited schedule but is a vice president of PGA Tour Enterprises, a for-profit company that is trying to strike an investment deal with Saudi sponsors of rival LIV Golf. He was captain at the 2019 Presidents Cup when the Americans beat Royal Melbourne and was an assistant captain at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

“I spend a lot of my time on the PGA Tour. “If I can’t fulfill my role as captain, I don’t want to do it without fulfilling it,” Woods said at the PGA Championship in May.

With Woods out of options, the PGA chose Bradley as the local color. He is a New England native who played golf at St. John’s University.

“Keegan’s prior Ryder Cup experience, strong relationships and unwavering passion for the event will be invaluable as he leads Team USA over the next year and a half,” said PGA of America Chairman John Lindert. “I am confident that under Keegan’s leadership, the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team will compete at Bethpage with the same confidence and determination that has defined his career.”

Bradley has six PGA Tour wins, including the 2011 PGA Championship, two of which came last season, which Bradley thought would be enough to earn him a spot on another Ryder Cup team. He was devastated when U.S. captain Zach Johnson passed over four other candidates for the captaincy, including Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka.

The prototypical Ryder Cup captain is usually a player at the peak of his career, usually in his mid-40s. And since players had a stronger say in choosing their captains after the 2014 games, the model for future captains has been to first serve as an assistant at the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup.

The model also suggests that a former captain (Johnson in this case) will be an assistant at the next Ryder Cup. Given these initial opinions on Bradley’s selection, it wasn’t immediately clear if this was still true.

Bradley’s last Ryder Cup appearance was in 2014 at Gleneagles in Scotland, when Tom Watson benched Bradley and Phil Mickelson for the Saturday session before again winning the European Championship.

Bradley made his Ryder Cup debut in Medinah in 2012, teaming with Mickelson to go 3-0 before losing to Rory McIlroy in singles in what turned out to be a European victory, the largest comeback by a visiting team.

He famously did not unpack his bag from the 2012 matches and said he would not open it until he was on a winning team. Now he’ll get that chance.

“My passion and appreciation for the greatest team sport in golf has never been stronger,” Bradley said in a press release. “The Ryder Cup is unlike any other in our sport and this one is sure to be special given the rich history of this iconic course and the passionate crowds. We look forward to beginning preparations for 2025.”

This will be the first time an American has chosen their captain in more than 30 years. “I didn’t expect it to take this long or be this difficult.

Mickelson was the obvious choice to host this Ryder Cup since Bethpage Black was announced as the venue in 2013. New York loves the lefty and he was the sentimental favorite for two U.S. Open finals at Bethpage Black.

But he became the chief recruiter for LIV Golf and joined the Saudi League in 2022, but fell out of favor with several PGA Tour players after his promotion to the rival tour. Woods was then approached but after several months of discussions, it didn’t work out.

After Henrik Stenson joined LIV and lost the captaincy, Luke Donald was named European manager with just 14 months to prepare for the 2023 match away from Rome. Europe won handily, and Donald was chosen to lead Europe again at Bethpage Black.