To Play Or Not To Play: Keegan Bradley Finds Himself In A Ryder Cup Quandary | Ewan Murray

What is nan position of nan US team?

Six players person qualified automatically to correspond nan US successful New York adjacent month: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau. Keegan Bradley will sanction his half‑dozen wildcards connected Wednesday. These announcements are ordinarily mundane; this 1 will beryllium acold from that.

Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa are certainties to beryllium involved. Patrick Cantlay, who was cardinal to truthful overmuch play successful Rome 2 years ago, is besides apt to get nan nod. The remaining 3 spots realistically look to beryllium betwixt 4 names: Cameron Young, Ben Griffin, Sam Burns and Bradley himself. Of those, Young and Burns are astir hotly tipped to make nan US team. Bradley added a furniture of intrigue connected Sunday by stating: “There’s astir apt going to beryllium a fewer guys that deliberation they are going to beryllium connected nan squad that aren’t going to be.”

Why is Bradley’s determination truthful significant?

There has been nary playing skipper successful nan Ryder Cup since 1963 and backmost past Arnold Palmer did not person to prime himself. Bradley has intelligibly agonised complete this decision, describing it arsenic “defining” and “the biggest of my life”.

Bradley regards himself arsenic 1 of nan finest players successful nan crippled and location is logic down that. He is classed 11 successful nan world and eighth among Americans. However, nan standard of duties associated pinch captaining a modern Ryder Cup squad mean galore respect nan conception of combining this pinch playing to beryllium nonsensical. Should Bradley play and nan US autumn to a uncommon location defeat, inevitably he will beryllium criticised for being self-indulgent. If Bradley stays connected nan sidelines and nan aforesaid consequence plays out, fans will inquire why he did not thief nan squad wrong nan ropes wherever he is astir accustomed.

Justin Thomas (right) is simply a certainty to beryllium progressive erstwhile Keegan Bradley picks his team. Photograph: Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

There are subplots; Bradley was hugely upset not to person a prime for nan past Ryder Cup team. US players will person $500,000 (£370,000) each for information astatine Bethpage, $300,000 of which must beryllium directed towards charity. While it is easy to opportunity money does not matter successful this context, that contradicts nan truth those players lobbied for nan costs successful nan first place.

What is nan lawsuit for not playing?

The temper euphony astatine East Lake and nan Tour Championship early past week suggested this would beryllium Bradley’s decision, owing to a increasing knowing of really overmuch clip and power his captaincy will return up. However, nan 39-year-old duly produced his champion shape successful weeks, including rounds of 64 and 63, to necktie seventh. Taken astatine look value, Bradley is successful a quandary complete what to do.

Griffin would beryllium a Ryder Cup rookie but posted top-10 finishes successful 2 of 2025’s majors. He won doubly connected nan PGA Tour successful spring. Bradley tin reasonably opportunity location is capable extent elsewhere connected nan American broadside that he needn’t go nan attraction of attraction pinch a dual role. There would besides beryllium nary consequence of “we told you so” arsenic nan premier disapproval if nan Ryder Cup goes incorrect for nan hosts.

And what is nan lawsuit for playing?

Maybe nan domiciled of nan Ryder Cup skipper is overstated. It feels rather feasible, for example, that Bradley could usage nan Friday and Saturday mornings to make decisions (albeit astir of them are made earlier a shot is struck anyway) earlier taking to nan people successful nan day sessions. His commitments would besides beryllium shared betwixt a batch of vice‑captains. One of them, Jim Furyk, has antecedently captained Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams.

Several players successful nan US squad intelligibly want Bradley to tee up alongside them. How influential those voices are remains to beryllium seen. In nan past twelvemonth Bradley has played immoderate of nan finest play of his life, arsenic epitomised by seeing disconnected Tommy Fleetwood and Henley to triumph nan Travelers Championship successful June.

This will not beryllium Bradley’s interest but a playing captain, specified a rarity, would adhd a gloriously intriguing storyline to Ryder Cup week.

How are nan European squad placed successful comparison?

In a overmuch much settled state. Rory McIlroy, Bob MacIntyre, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Rasmus Højgaard and Tyrrell Hatton are automatic qualifiers. Fleetwood is successful nan shape of his life and ended his wait for a triumph successful nan US connected Sunday.

Every anticipation is that nan captain, Luke Donald, will use continuity erstwhile making his picks adjacent Monday. Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm are apt to get nan nod. It will truthful beryllium 1 alteration and a quirkish 1 astatine that from nan squad who defeated nan US successful Rome: Rasmus Højgaard replacing his copy brother, Nicolai.

Alex Norén’s triumph astatine nan British Masters pursuing an injury‑disrupted spell did raise immoderate eyebrows, nan Swede forming portion of Europe’s winning squad successful 2018. However, it will beryllium a daze if Donald does not instrumentality to nan evident names.