PGA of America named the US Ryder Cup team captain for the 2025 on Monday after Tiger Woods declined their offer. What do some of the LIV players think about the announcement?
Joseph McMahonjmcmahonztownUpdate: Jul 10th, 2024 16:57 EDT0
A.Carrasco RagelEFE
It was a surprise for everyone. Nobody saw that coming, but after some initial disbelief came a glimpse of hope. Can Keegan Bradley be the leader the US needs to win at Bethpage Black in New York in 2025? He’s likable, he’s competitive and he has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove he’s the man for the job.
In his first appearance after the announcement Bradley made it clear that the boys’ club is a thing of the past and he’s going to take the 12 best players for Team USA. You could almost hear a sigh of relief from LIV golfers who want to represent their country and beat the Europeans on American soil.
Phil and Bryson are all in on Keegan Bradley as the Ryder Cup Captain. 👏 pic.twitter.com/chAKe4JfTE
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) July 10, 2024
What did LIV golfers say about Keegan Bradley as US Ryder Cup captain?
At Valderrama on Wednesday morning 2024 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and six-time major winner Phil Mickelson gave their opinion on the surprise appointment. “I was surprised at the pick,” Mickeslon said. “I think it’s a great pick the more I think about it. He played a lot of golf at Bethpage when he went to St. Johns. His passion for the Ryder Cup is greater than just about any player I’ve ever seen.”
DeChambeau agreed and thinks it could be a good match for Team USA. “Yeah, look, I’m excited for him. I think it’s a great opportunity for him, especially as it relates to younger players. He’s going to see that younger threshold, and obviously relate to them a lot more, I would say, because of his age,” he said.
In 2023 the only LIV player who got the call from Zach Johnson was Brooks Koepka. In hindsight Dustin Johnson and/or Bryson Dechambeau could have made the difference in what was a blowout on Friday, which ended up being a lot closer by the end of play on Sunday in Rome.
DeChambeau added, “As far as picking the best players, that’s the right approach and I couldn’t be more happy for him as captain.” In his first appearance after being named captain, Bradley made it clear he wants the best 12 players when September 2025 comes around and that is motivation for the group of LIV players.
