In the end, Keegan Bradley took a step back. The Team USA captain at the 2025 Ryder Cup has chosen the six golfers who will complete the American squad. And he's not there. They are Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, and Ben Griffin.
Many top American playerswho had seen him win two major tournaments in the last yearthought he deserved a playing spot. Trump had said the same. "Thank you, Mr. President. I hope I don't disappoint you," Bradley replied.
Not even the exciting run at last week's Tour Championship changed the captain's mind. Bradley explained that he had known "for a while" that he wouldn't become the first playing captain since Palmer. "I grew up dreaming of playing in the Ryder Cup. Not being there as a player," he explained, "broke my heart, truly. But my job is different: to be the best captain I can be."
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Team USA, here are the captain's picks
The 39-year-old captain has selected two rookies: New Yorker Cameron Young and Ben Griffin, ranked No. 9. This gives the United States four rookies in the Ryder Cup, scheduled for September 26-28 at Bethpage Black.
Here are the players in detail:
Sam Burns returns to Team USA after his 2023 debut. The 29-year-old has collected six top 10 finishes on the PGA this season.
Patrick Cantlay will play in his third consecutive Ryder Cup with a record of 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw (his 3-0-1 record at Whistling Straits 2021 was a standout).
Justin Thomas is playing in his fourth Ryder Cup. He is the lowest-ranked player in the world. At 32, he boasts a record of seven wins, four draws, and two losses. He earned his sixteenth PGA TOUR victory of the season at the RBC Heritage.
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Collin Morikawa, 28, will represent the United States for the third time. A two-time Major winner, he has an overall record in this competition of four wins, three draws, and one loss.
At 29, Ben Griffin won his first two PGA TOUR titles this year (the Zurich Classic and the Charles Schwab Challenge). With ten top-10 finishes this season, he is second only to Scottie Scheffler.
Cameron Young is one of four American rookies on Team USA. He closed the season on a high, winning his first PGA TOUR tournament and scoring four consecutive top-12 finishes.
Team USA, the automatic qualifiers
J.J. Spaun and Russell Henley, as well as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Harris English, and Bryson DeChambeau, the sole representative of LIV Golf, had already qualified directly. Brooks Koepka, also a LIV player, was selected in 2023.
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In total, only six Americans return from the Rome team.
Luke Donald's captain's picks are expected on Monday. Europe is likely to retain 11 of the 12 players who won in Rome two years ago.
