The 2025 Ryder Cup hangs in the balance! The 38-year-old Keegan Bradley has become one of the youngest Ryder Cup captains. He is now tasked with navigating a team of talented athletes, probably both from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. In a way, with these captain’s picks, the 6x PGA Tour winner holds the fate of LIV golfers. There is no rule against LIV golfers playing in the Ryder Cup, but it’s hard for sure.

In 2023, people expected at least one LIV golfer to be there, and that was Brooks Koepka, and he was! He gave a stellar performance, won the PGA Championship, and became the first and only LIV golfer to play wearing American colors in Italy. Can a common goal to defeat Team Europe unite the golf world yet again? Or will the conflicts tear it apart? It’s hard to say at the moment, especially with Keegan Bradley’s appointment. 

Does Keegan Bradley’s appointment pose a threat to LIV golfers?

Keegan Bradley has never publicly criticized LIV golfers or the league. But some of his friends defected to Greg Norman-led LIV Golf when the breakaway league began. That tends to make his captaincy a complex and intriguing development. In 2023, when invited to a podcast named Drop Zone, Bradley expressed his friends leaving for LIV Golf.

“It’s been strange… I’ve had some great friends leave, and it’s been hard to see them go.“ Despite his friends joining LIV Golf, he has no hard feelings towards LIV golfers and even supports the team format. “To be honest with you, I think the setup of how they do it, with the teams and the way they’re all playing, I think it’s brilliant.”

Talking about his friends who left, he said, “Brendan Steele is one of my closest friends in the entire world. He was at my wedding; we play every Tuesday together; we have dinner on the road; our families are friends; and then overnight he’s gone.” He also mentioned Cameron Tringale, who also left to play in the Saudi-funded league. Bradley highlighted the unexpected turn of events that left him as one of the older guys on the PGA Tour.

“Because all of a sudden, overnight, I look around, and I’m one of the older guys out here. And the younger guys have their own crew and what they do—iit’s been strange.” All that bothered the new Ryder Cup captain was the fact that his friends left, which kind of made him one of the oldest guys. He has no hard feelings against any of the players who left, but rather he understands why they left: “I have a much different view than a lot of guys; I’m happy for them; they got a ton of money, and that’s what we’re all out here playing for.”

The skipper not preferring breakaway league could be harsh for the LIV golfers out there especially for those who are in a good spot to secure a position on Team USA like Bryson DeChambeau. But the chances of him not picking LIV golfers under his choice of captain’s picks seem unreal because he does not hold any grudge against them. Another reason that solidifies his missing out on deserving players is the fact that he was one of them in 2023. 

How did Bradley feel after his Ryder Cup dreams were shattered?

Despite not being selected for the 2023 Ryder Cup team, which included Brooks Koepka and Keegan Bradley, he harbors no grudges against LIV golfers or anyone for that matter. In a Netflix documentary, Full Swing, he shared his emotions about not making the team, saying, “It’s anger, sadness, it’s all the things… But then it’s like, There’s no wrong decision with who’s on the team; everyone’s such a great player.” He also praised his fellow players, stating, “I love these guys… I wanted to be around these guys because of the energy that they have.”

Last year, Keegan Bradley had a good season. He had won the Travelers Championship and had decent finishes too, which led him to believe that he would be a part of the American Squad. So, he knows how to be left behind even after performing well, so he might not do the same to the deserving LIV golfers.

With Keegan Bradley at the helm, the selection process for the 2025 Ryder Cup team will be closely watched. Will he opt for players who have remained loyal to the PGA Tour, or will he consider LIV golfers who have proven their skills on the course? Share your opinion in the comment section below.