Bradley: Ryder Cup playing captain ‘biggest decision’ of life

ATLANTA — Keegan Bradley said Friday he has a “pretty good idea” who his six captain’s picks will be for the Ryder Cup. Still to be determined is whether one of those picks will be him.

No one has been a playing Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, and there has never been a reason except the 39-year-old Bradley happens to be No. 13 in the world, and only Scottie Scheffler has more PGA Tour wins than Bradley in the last year.

“I promise you we’re going to make the best decision for the team, and it’s going to be controversial either way,” Bradley said Friday at the Tour Championship, where he shot 64 despite his mind being consumed by the Sept. 26-28 matches at Bethpage Black.

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“I’m ready for it,” he said. “I know this is the biggest decision of my life.”

Bradley hosted a dinner for the six automatic qualifiers on the U.S. team, and he invited Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa — Nos. 7 and 8 — meaning they presumably are set to be picked.

That leaves four spots from a group that might or might not include Bradley.

He has had the support of top players even before he won the Travelers Championship, which Bradley said was meaningful but counts for nothing when deciding with his assistant captains how to fill out the 12-man team.

But it has been wearing on the captain, even inside the ropes, especially as it gets closer. He flies to PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas, on Tuesday and will announce the six captain’s picks on Wednesday.

He finished Friday at 6-under 134 in a tie for 14th in the 30-man field at East Lake vying for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize. Bradley said when he sees a leaderboard, what gets his attention is how the Americans are playing. He sees bunkers and tucked pins. He’s thinking about pairings and speeches.

“It’s very difficult,” he said. “I’m having a really hard time separating right now my captaincy and my playing.”

Bradley said his picks will not be shaped entirely by the Tour Championship, although it could muddle plans. He referred to the Ryder Cup team as a two-year process, not what results come from one week or one round.

He was appointed in July 2024, and the notion arose immediately of his chances to be captain and play. Bradley said at the time he would consider playing only if he qualified. But that was before he won a FedEx Cup playoff event last August in Denver, and before he won a signature event in June at the Travelers Championship.

He was not surprised this decision is now in front of him.

“To be honest, I feel like I’m still one of the best players in the world,” he said. “I figured the likelihood of being completely out of the picture was probably pretty slim. We’ve been preparing for this since then. It would be easier if I was top six or way out of it.”

But he’s right in the thick of it, a decision that will not go away regardless of the six picks he announces on Wednesday. The only way to avoid second-guessing is for the Americans to win.

“No matter what decision I make, I’m going to be defined by this decision,” Bradley said. “If we win, it doesn’t matter what decision I make.”