Keegan Bradley—professional golfer, 39 years old—has been making headlines by refusing selection to the U.S. Ryder Cup team for this year’s tournament. Naturally, his decision has led to conversation among fans and analysts at large. After ending up 11th on the Ryder Cup points list this year, Bradley is still the seventh-best American in the world rankings. His decision catches everyone by surprise. He would have been the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, so this is even more surprising.
Bradley has publicly reconsidered his decision, saying that he knew it was the “right choice” to step down. He expressed confidence in his decision, saying, “I’m 100-percent certain this is the right choice.” This declaration speaks to his desire to build the best possible team and lead them. Besides, it allows him to focus all of his attention on leading as captain.
In his absence, Bradley has been very involved with the direction of the team. He chose six captain’s picks to round out the squad. Among them are big names like Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns. Each one of these players brings a unique experience and diverse skill set that Bradley thinks will help better fortify the U.S team.
For on-the-field reasons, Bradley’s recent run of form would seem to bolster his decision. Over the last 13 months, he has racked up two major victories. He now sits aches and pains behind Scottie Scheffler for the most PGA Tour wins in that stretch. Bradley’s success is nothing short of stunning and she remains a real threat. Still, he acknowledges that even a run of form this good wasn’t sufficient to secure a place on the Ryder Cup squad.
I did not want to just say that I’m the captain and that’s it. I want to be the best captain that I can be. He made a point of saying that he’s not interested in competing himself but rather leading the team. As I said a long time ago that I wasn’t playing. Significantly, this suggests that he had drawn conclusions about what his role should be even before he made his captain’s picks.
With the Ryder Cup upon us, Bradley’s leadership and strategic selections will surely be under the microscope. His decision to resign reflects his deep commitment to collaborative governance. “Overall, I have a self-awareness that I know my strengths and weaknesses—and tendencies—so I’m still trying to work on that,” he said.
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