The last time Keegan Bradley represented Team U.S. in the Ryder Cup was 10 years ago. The Woodstock local was expected to make his return to the prestigious tournament in 2023. However, Team U.S. couldn’t find a place to fit him in.

Considering the great run he was in, winning 2 titles in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, maybe he would have made a difference. Maybe, Keegan Bradley would have helped Team U.S. retain the title. We will never know.

What we do know is that the 38-year-old is the captain of Team U.S. going into the 2025 Ryder Cup. His appointment shocked the world as everyone expected Tiger Woods to fill in the role. But it is what it is and Keegan Bradley is going to be leading a formidable American side against the DP World Tour team in 2025.

However, as things stand, it seems that Keegan Bradley may also be in contention for winning a spot as a player by merit. That was the topic of discussion on the No Laying Up Podcast for the hosts Neil Schuster, Randy, and Kevin Van Valkenburg (KVV) in a video shared on YouTube a few hours ago.

Randy initiated this conversation by stating “I think Keegan (Bradley) is going to qualify for the Ryder Cup team,” suggesting that the pro golfer from Vermont will win a place on merit. That’s when KVV mentioned, “I want him to just take himself out of it. I do not want to have this debate all year about whether Keegan should be a playing captain.” He further added, “That would be a great way for my guy (Keegan Bradley) to really fall on his face hard,” suggesting that Bradley will regret being a playing captain for Team U.S.

Randy drew a comparison with an NFL pro who suggested something similar as he said, “It would be like if Aaron Rodgers said like ‘Hey, I want to be the Head Coach of New York Jets next year.'” KVV replied to the statement with “That would be very intriguing.” That’s when Neil joined the conversation clarifying, “KVV, to be clear, you’re hoping he doesn’t qualify, auto qualify, or select himself. You don’t want him in the team,” before being interrupted by Kevin. “I think I would say no. I want him to just captain. I think he should say right now, if I qualify, will not serve. I am solely the captain this year. I do not think I should have a playing opportunity,” said KVV.

Van Valkenburg further added, “Part of the reason he got the captaincy because he was so despondent and hurt that he would never get a chance to play in the Ryder Cup.” KVV then perceived that the PGA of America wanted to treat Bradley better and that is why they made him the captain as “he’s connected with the youth.” He then admitted that even though he doesn’t want to debate about Keegan Bradley playing and being the captain simultaneously, the fact is, this will be a topic of discussion all year long.

To that, Neil jumped in again saying, “I’m fully on the opposite side of that argument. I think it would be fantastic for content and it could be a total disaster, or it could lead to him being shrined as a US golf hero.” He further added that he would love for Keegan Bradley to win his place in the team on merit so that he is not forced to select himself. Lastly, Neil also mentioned, “I don’t want him to put himself in that position to pick himself.” KVV concluded the topic by saying that this situation would be “good for our content, but not so good for my brand, personally,” as he is known to be quite outspoken about such situations and that might catch some heat.

While the crew continued to discuss the potential Ryder Cup players, this particular segment raised some interesting perspectives. But we will only understand it better once we learn how close Keegan Bradley is to qualifying for the Ryder Cup team on merit.

Has Keegan Bradley qualified for the Ryder Cup?

Looking at the current U.S. Team Rankings for the Ryder Cup qualification, only three names pop up who may be confirmed; LIV Golf pro; Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele. All three men were able to win majors in 2024, so they have accumulated enough points to auto-qualify. Others on the lineup are Collin Morikawa, Brian Harman, and Billy Horschel. All three men are ranked above 2000 points, which is nearly 1500 more than Keegan Bradley. For the captain to make it on merit, he will need to grab some major wins in 2025 before the Ryder Cup begins.

With 4 major events still to go, we can expect a major shakeup in the rankings. And if any of the above-mentioned contenders are able to win even one major, then their places in Team U.S. will be as good as confirmed. However, Bradley has certainly shown interest in being a playing captain as he talked about it to ASAP Sports at the Castle Pines Golf Club back in August 2024.

It’s too soon to make a prediction, but if Keegan Bradley does win a place as a player on merit, do you think he should become a playing captain in the 2025 Ryder Cup? Share your views in the comments section.