PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Keegan Bradley can’t avoid questions about the Ryder Cup and his possible participation on the U.S. team.
So he was happy to get one that was not Ryder Cup-related on Monday at Royal Portrush—although it could ultimately have some bearing on it.
The U.S. Ryder Cup captain chuckled at the idea during a practice round in advance of the British Open. But the question had no easy answers.
It concerned his rather lackluster record at the Open. Specifically, no top-10 finishes in 11 appearances. And five consecutive missed cuts, including the last time the Open was played at Royal Portrush in 2019.
“I love playing over here,” Bradley said. “I played better early in my career here. I really don’t know. I definitely sometimes, because of how much slower the greens are, I tend to have a tough time putting. I have a better plan this year hopefully.
“But I come here and leave 6-footers a foot short. It’s not like I’m doing that with lag putts. It’s shorter putts. It’s the speed from closer range.”
Bradley, who is seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, said he considered playing in last week’s Genesis Scottish Open, something he’s done in the past, but felt that didn’t help him much.
He added the Rocket Classic this year—it was the week following his Travelers Championship victory.
“I’ve missed a bunch of these by one shot the last couple of years,” he said. “Just gotta play better.”
Bradley is ninth in U.S. Ryder Cup points with the top six automatically making his 12-man team. That cutoff is the BMW Championship—a tournament he won last year—meaning he has at least three more chances to move up on the list. He’ll have a fourth if he decides to add the Wyndham Championship.
Part of that is due to the bonus structure in place for FedEx Cup points and a Comcast Business bonus following the Wyndham Championship. Bradley is currently 10th in the FedEx Cup standings—with the top 10 dipping into the Comcast bonus. He’s almost a lock to make the Tour Championship at this point.
A good week at Royal Portrush would take care of a lot of those issues. And with 1.5 times the points available (per every $1,000 earned), it’s also an opportunity to, if not make the team outright, make it nearly impossible not to pick himself.
“I have such respect for these guys who go out and win back-to-back tournaments. Or like Tiger (Woods) winning a million in a row,” said Bradley, who tied for 41st at the Rocket Classic the week after beating Tommy Fleetwood by a shot at the Travelers Championship. “They’re mentally a grind. It’s exhausting. But I had two weeks off. And I need to get back going.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Keegan Bradley Can Move Closer to Historic Ryder Cup Role at British Open.
