Keegan Bradley turns down chance to be playing Ryder…

Keegan Bradley turns down chance to be playing Ryder Cup captain as USA picks revealed

Keegan Bradley has not selected himself in the USA team for the Ryder Cup - (Getty Images)

Keegan Bradley has turned down the opportunity to become the first playing captain at the Ryder Cup in 62 years after choosing not to select himself for the United States team for the 2025 edition.

Bradley has been rumoured to be strongly considering including himself in the US selection that will bid to win back the Cup from Luke Donald’s Europe at Bethpage Black in New York in late September.

In the process, the 39-year-old had been set to become the first man to both play and skipper at the same edition of the biennial event since Arnold Palmer led the United States to a dominant victory in Atlanta in 1963.

But he has instead selected returning Ryder Cup players in Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns in his team, along with debutants Ben Griffin and Cameron Young.

They join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Harris English, Russell Henley, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau as the US seek success on home soil.

Bradley previously featured in the 2012 and 2014 Ryder Cups as a player, and narrowly missed out on the last edition in Rome. He has been in strong form on the PGA Tour having first announced an intention to qualify for the team when unveiled as a surprise choice as Ryder Cup captain last year.

Having missed out on one of six automatic qualification spots, Bradley has looked elsewhere for the six wildcards for the American team.

“The decision was made a while ago that I wasn’t playing,” he explained. “The last 48 hours, we had the team set, we weren’t scrambling at all.

“This was a really tough decision. There was a point this year where I was playing. All these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way onto this team. That is something that I am really proud of, and something that I really wanted.

Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa have both earned selection for the Ryder Cup after featuring in 2023 (PA Wire)

“But it was an extremely tough decision, but one that I am really happy with. I am really happy with these six players - and I’m glad it is over.

“I grew up wanting to play Ryder Cups, grew up wanting to fight alongside these guys. It broke my heart not to play, it really did, because you work forever to make these teams.

“But ultimately I was chosen to do a job and chosen to be the captain of this team. My ultimate goal to start this whole thing was to be the best captain I could be. This was how I felt we could do this. If we got to this point and I felt like the team was better with me on it, I was going to do that. I was going to do whatever was best for the team. I am 100% certain that this is the right choice. These six guys played so incredibly coming down the stretch and made my decision so much easier.”

Scheffler, Cantlay, Schauffele, Morikawa, Burns and Thomas all return from the 2023 Ryder Cup defeat for the United States, when they were led by Zach Johnson.

Alongside Bradley, among those possibly in contention for wildcard spots who have missed out are stalwart Jordan Spieth, who has lacked form this last year, and Brian Harman, whose lack of driving distance had been highlighted as a possible concern at a course that favours the bigger hitters.