All eyes on Keegan Bradley as he prepares to make the final choices of Captain Ryder Cup
US Captain Ryder Cup Keegan Bradley will announce the choices of his six captains on Wednesday.
Will the biggest question in everyone’s mind: will Bradley choose?
Bradley would become the first captain to play in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer led the Americans to a rout of 23-9 at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in 1963.
Golfer No. 1 in the world Scottie Scheffler, the US Open JJ Spaun winner, the double major champion Xander Schauffele and the veterans of the PGA Tour Russell Henley and Harris English have already qualified for the team on points, with the captain of the Liv Golf League, Bryson Dechambeau.
Bradley and his Vice-Capitaines will choose the other half of the American team who will face Europeans with Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26 to 28.
The Americans will try to avenge a defeat of 16½-11½ against Europe in the Ryder Cup 2023 outside Rome.
European captain Luke Donald will announce the choices of his six captains on September 1.
The winner of the masters Rory McILroy, Robert Macintyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Højgaard and Tyrrell Hatton have already made the team.
Tier i: lock to make the team
Justin Thomas
The double winner of the PGA championship has done it enough this season to take over the Ryder Cup team for the fourth time, and JT admitted that it was much less anxious of its chances than in 2023, when its inclusion was controversial.
“I don’t think there are adjectives to compare both,” said Thomas. “I had three weeks to sweat, really. I knew that I needed a lot of luck. I needed much more than I do right now, I would say. I feel much better in my chances, I hope.
Thomas ended a drought of almost three years on tour when he won the RBC heritage in the playoffs on April 20. He was a triple finalist and succeeded in eight top 10 in 20 departures this season.
Thomas is one of the most accomplished match artists in America: he has 17-7-4 in the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. He will have a new game partner at Bethpage Black because his good friend Jordan Spieth will not do the team after his return from wrist surgery this season.
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay is only 15th in the Ryder Cup points ranking, has not won on tour for more than three years and fell 23 in the official golf ranking.
That said, like Thomas, Cantlay is a commodity in the international match match games. He had 5-2-1 in two previous Ryder Cups and was 10-4-0 in the Cup of Presidents.
Cantlay was a bright point for Americans in their ugly loss outside Rome two years ago. Even if Cantlay was mocked by European fans for his alleged role in the controversy “Hat Gate”, he had a 2-2 file and showed “Patty Ice” nerves.
Cantlay had five top 10 and 10 top 25 in 19 departures this season, and his measures suggest that he should have done more. It ranks ninth on tour in won lines: total (1.057) and approach (.621). Cantlay better performed in the Fedex Cup qualifiers with equality for the ninth in the Fedex St. Jude championship and for second place in the Tour championship.
Tier II: should be in the team
Keegan Bradley
This is the question to a million dollars and Linchpin’s decision that will determine the team’s latest places: if Bradley is chosen with one of the choices of his captain.
Bradley is undoubtedly one of the 12 best American golfers at the moment, and Thomas and others have said that they would choose it if they were captains.
After having said before that he would only play if he was one of the six automatic qualifications, Bradley changed his air after beating a land loaded to win the Travelers championship, a signature event. He equaled the eighth at the PGA championship and was in the running at the touring championship before lacking gas and linking the seventh.
Bradley should have been part of the American team in Rome. He is from the northeast and trained with Bethpage Black while playing university golf course in St. John’s. Even if he is a Boston sports enthusiast, New Yorkers would aim for him.
The question, of course, is whether Bradley thinks that he can effectively lead the American team during the competition. At the same time, does he believe that the Americans have a better chance of winning if it is on the course?
Cameron Young
Young finally pierced with his first PGA Tour victory in the Wyndham championship on August 3 to bring him back to the Ryder Cup mixture. Then he followed this with three solid finishes in the playoffs of the Fedex Cup, finishing fifth in the St. Jude championship, 11th in the BMW championship and equaling the fourth in the Tour championship.
Young is one of the longest strikers in the t-shirt on tour, with an average of 313.6 yards, which will be important with Bethpage Black. Young’s iron game was not good – it ranks 125th as an approach (-.175) – but it has turned into one of the best putters in the world.
Young is a native of New York who was successful in amateur events with Bethpage Black.
Tier III: On the bubble
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa is a double major champion and six times winner on tour, and it seems that he would be one of Bradley’s choices, given his success in team competitions (record of 10-5-1 in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup).
But Morikawa has not won for almost two years and admitted after the Tour championship that its form was not great. He crossed the Caddies last season. Morikawa’s results were not terrible: he was twice a finalist and had four top 10 and 12 top 25 in 19 departures.
“It was certainly at the back of my head,” said Morikawa about the Ryder Cup. “It is difficult to repel it. I have not played very well, but I think I am an excellent asset for this team. I hope I receive a positive call from Keegan.”
Sam Burns
Burns is another golfer who was hot at the right time of the season with equality for fourth at the BMW championship and for seventh in the Tour championship.
There is an obvious reason to include burns in the team: he is one of the best putters in the world and leads the tour in blows: Put (.924). His iron game prevented him from doing more this season – he was 115th in lines: approach (-.111) – but he could be a weapon on the Greens with the right teammate.
“”[I have] 100% confidence in Keegan, “said Burns.” I know that whatever the decision he will make, he is the best for the team. In the end, I am Team USA. If I’m in the team, great. I wouldn’t want anything anymore. If I am not, I will root them. “”
Ben Griffin
The Griffin on tour’s breakthrough season could have confused the plans of the American team. He associated himself with Andrew Novak to win the event of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team in April, then won the Charles Schwab challenge by himself.
Griffin, 29, was not over. He was a finalist in the Memorial, tied to the eighth at the PGA championship and for the 10th at the US Open. He had three TOP-12 in the FEDEX CUP qualifiers.
Griffin gave Bradley all the reasons to choose it. If Bradley chooses, however, Griffin could be the first. Does the American team want Bradley’s experience or another Ryder Cup recruit?
“It will be an anxious 24 to 48 hours,” said Griffin. “I wouldn’t say stressful because I feel like I am too blessed to be stressed. But certainly anxious just to see if I won a place in this team or not or if Keegan believes in me.
“I know that I was able to manage great moments this season. I know that I will be comfortable on this Bethpage stage, and I hope that I can start practicing 48 hours and start preparing for this Ryder Cup. It would be really cool, especially to represent the United States.”
Tier IV: looking outside
Brian Harman
Harman was a match sorcerer as an amateur and went 2-2 as a recruit from Ryder Cup to Rome. He is one of the best putters in the world when it is hot. Harman won the Valero Texas Open in early April and is a former winner of the open championship.
Harman probably needed to do something special in the Fedex Cup qualifiers to make the American team, and that did not happen. He finished 22nd in Memphis, 19th in Baltimore and 13th in Atlanta.
Maverick McNealy
McNealy, 29, is one of the rising stars of the PGA Tour and climbed 19th in the world. He won his first PGA Tour victory in the RSM Classic in November and was a finalist at the Genesis Invitational in February.
McNealy could have returned to the conversation of the Ryder Cup with his third solo in the BMW championship. The former world’s N ° 1 amateur has not yet participated in the Presidents Cup or in the Ryder Cup.
Andrew Novak
Novak appreciated a sacred radiator in April when he equaled the third at the Texas Open, lost against Thomas in the playoffs in the RBC heritage and won the Zurich Classic with Griffin.
Novak cooled for a while, but he climbed 13th in the Ryder Cup classification after matching the sixth in the Fedex St. Jude championship. He fought powerfully in the BMW championship and equaled the 25th in the Tour championship.
