All eyes on Keegan Bradley as he prepares to make last Ryder Cup captain’s picks

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will announce his six captain’s selections Wednesday.

The largest query on everybody’s thoughts: Will Bradley select himself?

Bradley would develop into the primary taking part in captain within the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer led the Americans to a 23-9 rout at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in 1963.

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler, U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun, two-time main champion Xander Schauffele and PGA Tour veterans Russell Henley and Harris English have already certified for the group on factors, together with LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau.

Bradley and his vice captains will select the opposite half of the U.S. group that may battle the Europeans at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, on Sept. 26-28.

The Americans will attempt to avenge a 16½-11½ loss to Europe within the 2023 Ryder Cup exterior Rome.

European captain Luke Donald will announce his six captain’s selections on Sept. 1.

Masters winner Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Højgaard and Tyrrell Hatton have already made the group.

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Tier I: Locks to make the group

Justin Thomas

The two-time PGA Championship winner has executed sufficient this season to get again on the Ryder Cup group for a fourth time, and JT admitted that he is far much less anxious about his possibilities than in 2023, when his inclusion was controversial.

“I don’t think there’s adjectives to compare the two,” Thomas mentioned. “I had three weeks to sweat it out, really. I knew I needed a lot of luck. I needed a lot more than I do right now, I would say. I feel a lot better about my chances, I would hope. It feels like forever ago, and I’m glad it does.”

Thomas ended an almost three-year drought on tour when he received the RBC Heritage in a playoff on April 20. He was a three-time runner-up and had eight prime 10s in 20 begins this season.

Thomas is one in all America’s most achieved match-play performers: He’s 17-7-4 in each the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. He’ll have a brand new taking part in associate at Bethpage Black, as his good buddy Jordan Spieth will not make the group after getting back from wrist surgical procedure this season.

Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay is just fifteenth within the Ryder Cup factors standings, hasn’t received on tour in additional than three years, and has dropped to twenty third within the Official World Golf Ranking.

That being mentioned, like Thomas, Cantlay is a confirmed commodity in worldwide match-play competitions. He was 5-2-1 in two earlier Ryder Cups and is 10-4-0 within the Presidents Cup.

Cantlay was a vibrant spot for the Americans of their ugly loss exterior Rome two years in the past. Even as Cantlay was jeered by European followers for his alleged function within the “hat gate” controversy, he had a 2-2 report and confirmed “Patty Ice” nerves.

Cantlay had 5 prime 10s and 10 prime 25s in 19 begins this season, and his metrics counsel he ought to have executed extra. He ranks ninth on tour in strokes gained: complete (1.057) and strategy (.621). Cantlay carried out higher within the FedEx Cup playoffs with a tie for ninth within the FedEx St. Jude Championship and for second within the Tour Championship.

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Tier II: Should be on the group

Keegan Bradley

It’s the million-dollar query and the linchpin choice that may decide the final one or two spots on the group: whether or not Bradley picks himself with one in all his captain’s selections.

Bradley is arguably one of many prime 12 American golfers proper now, and Thomas and others have mentioned they’d select him in the event that they had been captain.

After beforehand saying he would solely play if he had been one of many six automated qualifiers, Bradley modified his tune after beating a loaded subject to win the Travelers Championship, a signature occasion. He tied for eighth on the PGA Championship and was in competition on the Tour Championship earlier than operating out of gasoline and tying for seventh.

Bradley ought to have been on the U.S. group in Rome. He’s from the Northeast and practiced at Bethpage Black whereas taking part in faculty golf at St. John’s. Even although he is an avid Boston sports activities fan, New Yorkers can be rooting laborious for him.

The query, clearly, is whether or not Bradley believes he can successfully lead the U.S. group whereas competing. At the identical time, does he imagine the Americans have a greater likelihood of successful if he is on the course?

Cameron Young

Young lastly broke via along with his first PGA Tour victory within the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 3 to get him again within the Ryder Cup combine. Then he adopted that with three stable finishes within the FedEx Cup playoffs, ending fifth within the St. Jude Championship, eleventh within the BMW Championship and tying for fourth within the Tour Championship.

Young is without doubt one of the longest hitters off the tee on tour, averaging 313.6 yards, which goes to be necessary at Bethpage Black. Young’s iron play hasn’t been good — he ranks one hundred and twenty fifth in strategy (-.175) — however he has remodeled himself into the most effective putters on the planet.

Young is a New York native who has loved success in beginner occasions at Bethpage Black.

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Tier III: On the bubble

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa is a two-time main champion and six-time winner on tour, and it will appear he’d be one in all Bradley’s picks, given his success in group competitions (10-5-1 report in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup).

But Morikawa hasn’t received in almost two years and admitted after the Tour Championship that his kind is not nice. He shuffled via caddies this previous season. Morikawa’s outcomes weren’t horrible: He was a two-time runner-up and had 4 prime 10s and 12 prime 25s in 19 begins.

“It’s definitely been in the back of my head,” Morikawa mentioned of the Ryder Cup. “It’s hard to push it aside. I haven’t been playing great, but I think I’m a great asset to that team. Hopefully, I get a positive call from Keegan.”

Sam Burns

Burns is one other golfer who was sizzling on the proper time of the season with a tie for fourth within the BMW Championship and for seventh within the Tour Championship.

There’s one apparent motive to incorporate Burns on the group: He’s the most effective putters on the planet and leads the tour in strokes gained: placing (.924). His iron play held him again from doing extra this season — he was a hundred and fifteenth in strokes gained: strategy (-.111) — however he might be a weapon on the greens with the proper teammate.

“[I have] 100 percent trust in Keegan,” Burns mentioned. “I know whatever decision he makes is going to be one that he thinks is best for the team. Ultimately, I’m Team USA. If I’m on the team, awesome. I would love nothing more. If I’m not, I’ll be rooting for them.”

Ben Griffin

Griffin’s breakthrough season on tour might need muddled the U.S. group’s plans. He paired with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans group occasion in April, then received the Charles Schwab Challenge on his personal.

Griffin, 29, wasn’t executed. He was runner-up on the Memorial, tied for eighth on the PGA Championship and for tenth on the U.S. Open. He had three top-12 finishes within the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Griffin has given Bradley each motive to decide on him. If Bradley picks himself, nevertheless, Griffin is likely to be the primary one out. Does the U.S. group need Bradley’s expertise or one other Ryder Cup rookie?

“It’s going to be an anxious 24 to 48 hours,” Griffin mentioned. “I wouldn’t say stressful because I feel like I’m too blessed to be stressed. But definitely anxious just to see if I earned a spot on that team or not or if Keegan believes in me.

“I do know I’ve been capable of deal with some large moments this season. I do know I’ll be comfy on that stage at Bethpage, and hopefully I can begin practising 48 hours from now and begin preparing for that Ryder Cup. That can be actually cool, particularly to symbolize the United States.”

Tier IV: Outside trying in

Brian Harman

Harman was a match-play wizard as an beginner and went 2-2 as a Ryder Cup rookie in Rome. He’s the most effective putters on the planet when he is sizzling. Harman received the Valero Texas Open in early April and is a former Open Championship winner.

Harman most likely wanted to do one thing particular within the FedEx Cup playoffs to make the U.S. group, and it did not occur. He tied for twenty second in Memphis, nineteenth in Baltimore and thirteenth in Atlanta.

Maverick McNealy

McNealy, 29, is without doubt one of the rising stars on the PGA Tour and has climbed to nineteenth on the planet rankings. He captured his first PGA Tour win within the RSM Classic in November and was runner-up on the Genesis Invitational in February.

McNealy might need gotten again within the Ryder Cup dialog along with his solo third within the BMW Championship. The former world No. 1 beginner hasn’t but competed within the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Andrew Novak

Novak loved one heck of a heater in April when he tied for third within the Texas Open, misplaced to Thomas in a playoff within the RBC Heritage and received the Zurich Classic with Griffin.

Novak cooled off for some time, however he climbed to thirteenth within the Ryder Cup standings after tying for sixth within the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He struggled mightily within the BMW Championship and tied for twenty fifth within the Tour Championship.