Two weeks into the job, Keegan Bradley was formally unveiled as the following U.S. Ryder Cup captain on Tuesday afternoon in New York Metropolis.
Listed here are just a few revelations from the presser:
An unlikely name
Two Sunday nights in the past, Bradley fielded a cellphone name from PGA CEO Seth Waugh, PGA president John Lindert and final yr’s U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson. The information got here fast, and from Johnson: Bradley was going to be the following U.S. Ryder Cup captain.
“Some fairly unbelievable information that I had no clue was coming,” Bradley stated.
Not solely did Bradley not count on the information; he didn’t interview for the place, which was initially tabbed for Tiger Woods earlier than Woods declined, citing his incapacity to commit the time to the job. Bradley, who with two Ryder Cups underneath his belt has the least expertise of any earlier U.S captain, was additionally picked over previous assistant captains reminiscent of Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar.
“I wasn’t totally snug with a few of the folks that have been handed over,” Bradley stated. “I’ve a variety of respect for the folks that got here earlier than me and folks that need to be on this place, in order that was a heavy thought and second.”
Added Lindert: “We had a pair cellphone calls and talked about a wide range of completely different attributes that we might need in our subsequent captain. As you begin to test off the bins, and you’ve got a PGA champion, you will have any person who went to high school right here, is aware of the New York base, the fan base, may be very aware of Bethpage Black, is the son of a PGA member. There are a variety of bins that Keegan checked off and his enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup stood out above every little thing else and we simply felt that that was the ah-ha second. When Keegan’s identify was talked about, it was all fingers went up and we have been 100% behind it.”
Bradley going youthful with vice captains
In terms of Woods, Bradley stated, “I’ve advised him he will be as concerned as he desires to be.” However Bradley additionally vowed to take a recent strategy with deciding on who will captain alongside him.
Final yr, the U.S. vice captains have been Steve Stricker, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Fred {Couples} and Cink.
“They’re going to be quite a bit youthful, nearer to enjoying,” Bradley stated.
doubtlessly selecting LIV gamers, Bradley didn’t draw back from answering.
“I’m going to have the 12 greatest gamers on the crew,” Bradley stated. “I don’t care the place they play. So, we’ve a mission to win this match. I’m not nervous in regards to the LIV stuff. I need the perfect gamers on the crew. By the point we get to Bethpage in 2025 we’ve no clue how the format of the golf world’s going to be. Because it involves going to LIV occasions, if there’s guys which can be on the perimeter, I’m keen to try this.”
Not so quick, Netflix
A lot of the previous two years on Tour have been documented by Netflix cameras for the “Full Swing” docuseries, together with Bradley’s heartbreaking name from Johnson final yr telling Bradley that he didn’t make the crew for Rome. However the cameras have been notably absent from the U.S. crew room at Marco Simone, a choice made by the gamers.
Bradley was requested Tuesday if that might change subsequent yr.
“I had an unbelievable expertise with Netflix,” Bradley stated. “They have been nice to me. It was a giant determination to place my household on TV. That’s not a choice that’s for everyone. And I’ve solely been captain for 2 weeks, I’ve not broached this topic, I’ve not even considered it, I don’t know who’s going to be on the crew, however it’s undoubtedly a choice that’s going to be primarily based on what’s greatest for the crew. It’s not one thing that’s for everyone. It’s a nerve-wracking course of to undergo being filmed on a regular basis and that’s one thing that I’ll should cross afterward.”
