2025 Ryder Cup: Six reasons why Keegan Bradley is an compelling choice as United States team captain
CBSN
The youngest man to captain the Americans in 60 years enters a unique role next year at Bethpage Black
In conversations with folks both inside and outside the PGA of America in the months leading up to the decision to select a 2025 Ryder Cup captain for the United States, the consensus believed Tiger Woods was the primary target. Should he turn down the role, those in the know believed the opportunity would fall to somebody chalk-y like Stewart Cink or a former captain like Jim Furyk or Steve Stricker.
The indication that a current player would get the gig -- a current player snubbed from last year's Ryder Cup team, no less -- was never even a talking point. The selection of Keegan Bradley, who will be 39 when the Ryder Cup begins, was stunning for so many reasons. Among them: Bradley will be the first player in his 30s to helm the Americans in the last 60 years (Arnold Palmer, age 34, 1963).
Bradley's captaincy was formally announced Tuesday in New York, and there were some unique revelations -- including that he was never informed he was a candidate for the position before basically being assigned it by the PGA of America. The next year and change will be a wild ride for everyone involved, but this experiment can (and probably will) work for the U.S. side as it attempts to defend home turf at the Ryder Cup for the third consecutive tournament.
