Is another dream sacrificed in the golf industry? Well, not just yet, but maybe soon. Sam Burns may not be a part of the 2025 Ryder Cup team. He was a part of Team USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup under the guidance of captain Zach Johnson. Now that Keegan Bradley is the captain of the 2025 Ryder Cup, things could be different. How so? Well, because of Bradley’s high hopes. 

Bradley was snubbed of the chance to represent the USA at the 2024 Ryder Cup despite a fabulous year. He won two events in the 2022–23 season and had some top-15 finishes too, but only to not be a part of the Ryder Cup squad at the Marco Simone. He was heartbroken, to say the least, after getting that phone call from Johnson, so he probably does not want to do the same with any deserving golfer next year.

The 6x PGA Tour winner made his want pretty clear. He stated, “I just want the 12 best players.” He mentioned that he does not care about the league the golfers play in; all that matters to him is that they play good golf. And with the kind of year Sam Burns is having, he quite does not fit Bradley’s criteria. Burns is currently 33rd in OWGR, and his 2024 season has been subpar. He played in all four majors but ended up missing the cut in two of them: the Masters and the PGA Championship. He had nine top-15 finishes this year, and his last regular event of the season was the 3M Open, where he finished T12. These statistics are not that bad, but they are not exactly what Bradley would call the best golf. 

Burns’s current performance at the first tournament of the 2024 FedEx Cup Playoffs is going well so far. After the second round at the St. Jude Championship, the golfer held the T3 position with an excellent score of 10 under par. The chances of him getting picked by Bradley could be bleak if he continues to deliver subpar performances next year as well. But there is still a way for him to qualify for the American team via the Ryder Cup rankings. 

Burns currently stands in the 19th position on the Ryder Cup ranking, which is way under the top six. As per the eligibility criteria for the Ryder Cup selection, only the top six players in the Ryder Cup rankings will be automatically selected for Team USA. And now you’ll say, 19 is not that bad; he can easily climb up. He could; considering his performance this year, it could be difficult. He might or might not make it to Bethpage next year, but he will always tell the hysterical tale of his 2023 selection. 

Sam Burns’s unforgettable Ryder Cup phone call

Sam Burns made his Ryder Cup debut in Rome in 2023. His underrated PGA Tour career was marked by a memorable phone call from former U.S. team captain Zach Johnson, inviting him to join the team. The circumstances of the call were far from ideal. Burns was on the toilet at the time of the news, and he recalled the moment in an interview with SiriusXM’s Taylor Zarzour.

“I was killing time at a coffee shop on Decision Monday when duty called, so I hustled home,” Burns said. “I had to go to the bathroom—like, the bathroom bathroom.” He answered Johnson’s call while still on the toilet and was overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m like mid-poop, and I just start crying because he just told me I’m invited,” Burns said, laughing. Burns managed to compose himself, gave his wife Caroline a thumbs-up, and eventually celebrated the news once he was outside the bathroom. What a hilarious story, right?

So, do you think there is a chance for Sam Burns to get himself into next year’s Ryder Cup and represent red, blue, and white? Let us know in the comment section below!