New Year is a time for change. For some, it’s their equipment. For others, it’s their caddie or swing coach (hello, Viktor Hovland). For Keegan Bradley, it’s his personal style. In case you haven’t noticed, the 2025 Ryder Cup captain of Team USA now sports a mustache. Some fans are already batting for the captain to nurture it till the Ryder Cup.

Dan Rapaport of Skratch is one behind the idea. He is already banging the drums for a captain with a mustache. Rapaport tweeted, “I am absolutely, positively, 1000% behind the U.S. Ryder Cup captain having a mustache.” It is a first for Bradley, though. Previously the best we got from him was a five o’clock shadow. But here is the thing. The PGA of America’s choice to pick Bradley as the captain hasn’t sat well with fans.

Bradley, himself, has become a polarizing figure. Not least because of his passions, which at times spill over onto the greens. The seven-time PGA Tour winner will be the youngest Ryder Cup captain for the Stars and Stripes since 34-year-old Arnold Palmer helmed the squad in the 1963 iteration as a playing captain.

Moreover, the PGA of America is ready to pay $500K to each player in the squad. Something that enraged fans to no end, as it does away with the tradition of playing the Ryder Cup only for the country. In fact, many previous captains wrote a letter to the PGA of America asking to stop that. Bradley was heavily criticized as well for not doing enough to stop the move. Even Scottie Scheffler wasn’t spared. But now, it seems a change in style has brought a change in fan sentiment as well. To a certain extent.

Fans want the entire squad to follow Keegan Bradley’s footsteps

It should be noted that Keegan Bradley didn’t lobby for the captaincy. Rather, he was himself taken aback by that call from PGA of America. “I don’t think I’ll ever be more surprised of anything in my entire life. I had no idea. It took a while for it to sink in. I wasn’t fully comfortable with some of the people that were passed over,” the 2011 PGA Championship winner said in a press conference later. 

Bradley was picked over the likes of Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, and most importantly, Phil Mickelson, who was seen as a natural choice before he joined LIV Golf. Still, the prevalent opinion among golf fans is Lefty should’ve been picked as a captain. Mickelson, notably, has praised Bradley and put himself out of the captaincy race. At least for now. “I was surprised at the pick, and I think it’s a great pick the more I think about it. He played a lot of golf at Bethpage when he went to St. Johns.” 

While Mickelson is comfortable with the choice, some aren’t. “Anyone who thinks Keegan should have been a captain of the Ryder Cup before Phil doesn’t deserve to be a golf fan,” one of them commented. Nevertheless, not everyone shares the same opinion. Some are comfortable with Bradley as a captain and that too with a mustache. His style statement has garnered some fans. 

“Tom Selleck would be proud,” joked one user. Selleck’s mustache was of course legendary. A statement unto himself. Some are ready to place Keegan Bradley at the same altar as Selleck. Another wrote, “No longer looks like a Keegan, that a Mr. Bradley now.” A third chimed in, “The ENTIRE team needs a mustache.” Oh, well! Last year it was a mullet haircut, thanks to Brooks Koepka and Sam Burns, this time it could be a mustache. 

For some though, it will take more than one tournament and one good performance – Bradley shot 4-under 69 at the first round of the Sentry – to place him in the same altar as Selleck. “Hard to take anyone serious with a stache except Tom Selleck & Sam Elliot,” wrote one. So far, Bradley hasn’t spoken on why and what made him sport a mustache like this. But it would be interesting to know what the 39-year-old PGA Tour pro decides to do with it.