Xander Schauffele at this week’s 2024 Genesis Scottish Open.
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It wasn’t simply golf followers and media caught off guard by Wednesday’s announcement of Keegan Bradley as 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain at Bethpage Black.
“Yeah, it’s shocking,” Xander Schauffele stated on Tuesday on the Genesis Scottish Open, changing into basically the primary 2023 Ryder Cup participant to touch upon the most recent captain. “You usually anticipate somebody that’s a bit of bit older to get chosen as a captain. I believe lots of people had been banking on Tiger to do it. He clearly has so much on his plate. So Keegan expressed his love for the Ryder Cup publicly, which all of us noticed. I haven’t talked to him or seen him but, however I’m positive he’s over the moon and goes to do an incredible job.”
Final yr, Bradley was a possible captain’s decide however was one of many first gamers left off the crew. Netflix’s “Full Swing” captured the moments Bradley, together with his spouse, Jillian, discovered he wasn’t chosen. As somebody who had lengthy been vocal about how a lot the occasion meant to him, he was crushed.
“I take into consideration the Ryder Cup each second I’m awake, mainly,” Bradley stated, weeks earlier than the 2023 crew was introduced. “My largest factor proper now could be making an attempt not to consider it whereas I’m enjoying as a result of it’s that vital to me.”
Bradley, 38, performed in two Ryder Cups, each losses in 2012 and 2014, and has a profession file of 4-3 within the occasion. He was a high-energy participant in these Cups — and nonetheless is at present on Tour — though Schauffele stated he’s not at all times like that outdoors the ropes.
“He’s so laid again off the course,” Schauffele stated. “For those who get him in like a dinner setting or one thing, he loves sports activities. He’ll speak about sports activities all evening lengthy in the event you like. He’s a really passionate particular person. On the course, he’s intense. That’s simply how he competes and the way he’s. I’m positive as a captain he’s going to have kind of a blended bag. He received’t be afraid and can get everybody going. I don’t know if he’s coached or captained another groups in his life, whether or not it’s his youngsters’ groups or one thing like that, however when somebody is actually enthusiastic about one thing, they normally do very well.”
Though, in response to Schauffele, there are particular issues a captain can do to make life simpler on the crew. For starters, he stated, he hopes Bradley cuts down on all of the compulsory Ryder Cup pomp and circumstance.
“Taking a bunch of photographs all dressed up. I’d be the primary man that I have to flee rapidly. It simply looks as if it’s all these little, even like crew dinners or issues of that nature, we are able to have them kind of fast and inside versus having to exit, costume up and all these issues,” Schauffele stated. “It’s simply small issues. I believe there’s two or three dinners that we’ve got to go to which are type of mandatory-ish, and I believe if we minimize it down to at least one or two versus three that may be a very large deal.
“I don’t costume up and exit to dinner,” he continued. “I play 24 occasions, and I don’t assume I costume up and go to at least one dinner in all these 24 occasions. Plus my spouse, she’s wonderful, possibly for an anniversary or one thing like that. She is aware of once I’m right here, it’s to maintain my head down and compete and that’s what I attempt to do.”
Captain Bradley already has his first suggestion.
