Being the first paid, and second youngest Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley has been in the spotlight. During the selection process, the Ryder Cup committee looked at a few candidates after Tiger Woods decided to step back. But when Bradley’s name came up, PGA of America President John Lindert called it “a slam dunk.” After selection, Bradley expressed, “I would love to be a playing captain.” Bold move!

Nobody has been a playing Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer led Team USA in 1963. This invited quite a bit of skepticism for the skipper, but now, he is sharing why he thinks he’ll be able to pull it off. 

Keegan Bradley wishes to be one of the best

The Tour pro had a strong message to his critics and doubters while answering in a press conference during the Sony Open in Hawaii. He stated, “I’m still on my mission to be the best player that I can be, one of the best players in the world.” He continued explaining that this was because he hadn’t claimed a major in nearly 15 years. His only major win is the 2011 PGA Championship. “That’s number one on my list. I’ve won three years in a row. I’d like to make that four years in a row,” the pro further added.  From 2022-2024, he won a single event every year, latest being the 2024 BMW Championship.

Bradley feels confident, “But I really want to be looked at as one of the best players in the world. Me being the Ryder Cup captain doesn’t have anything to do with that. I still feel like I’m in the prime of my career, playing the best golf I’ve ever played, and I want to keep building on that.” The response comes in after receiving criticism for wanting to be a playing skipper.

Laura Davies, during her podcast with The 19th Uncut, said that juggling both responsibilities would be pretty much impossible. “He said he was going to play. But I’d be really surprised because it’s just two completely different roles,” she added. Her statement came from her own experiences. Davies never wanted to be a captain at the Solheim Cup because she enjoyed playing in it too much. 

However, she acknowledged she hadn’t been at her best since she was 53. She pointed out, “If you’re going to be the captain, you can’t still be thinking you’re a player.” She also mentioned that “If he’s (Bradley) playing well, he could actually be in that Ryder Cup.”

It seems that he’s still using his 2023 missed Ryder Cup disappointment as fuel to work harder and chase his goals. His disappointment was also seen often even after him becoming the captain.

A missed opportunity from 2023 still propels Keegan Bradley

Bradley was understandably upset when he was left off the U.S. team for the Ryder Cup in 2023. He expressed how much it impacted him, saying he thinks about the Ryder Cup constantly. Before last year’s BMW Championship, Bradley mentioned that trying not to dwell on it while playing is difficult because it means so much to him. He feels that he could contribute valuable experience to the team and would love the chance to play alongside a younger group.

Very recently, during The Sentry he shared how thoughts of the Ryder Cup often consume him. He talks about the Cup and strategies all the time, even with his wife, his fellow players, and caddies and the list is long. “My one job is out here, and then my other job is to be the captain and be the leader of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. I really enjoy being the captain. This isn’t difficult for me. I love talking to the guys, I love talking to my vice captains, and I love to play golf. So these aren’t difficult things. It’s stressful, for sure, but I enjoy both of them.”

And why not? Being the Ryder Cup captain is no small task and comes with tough decisions. In the very first event of the PGA Tour season, he finished at T15. If he keeps the momentum, there’s a possibility he might be balancing both roles. What do you think? Let us know below!