Ryder Cup: Keegan Bradley on Team USA plan for potential player-captain role and support offered by Tiger Woods
Keegan Bradley is closing on a potential player-captain role at the Ryder Cup; Bradley discussed the dual role, Team USA's plan and his conversations with Tiger Woods after a strong start to The Open; watch the Ryder Cup this September live on Sky Sports
Friday 18 July 2025 19:03, UK
Keegan Bradley has revealed that Team USA have a plan for the possibility he might be a playing captain at this year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
The former major champion was announced last summer as Zach Johnson's successor for the 2025 contest at Bethpage Black, live from September 26-28 on Sky Sports, after Tiger Woods ruled himself out of being the captain for this year's edition.
Bradley previous stated that he would only become the first playing captain for Team USA since Arnold Palmer took the role in 1963 if he qualified automatically, but that possibility increased after winning the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship last month.
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The 39-year-old has since changed his stance to saying he would consider himself as a captain's pick if he feels like that it would "help the team", with Bradley admitting that internal discussions have already taken place about how it could work.
"We have a plan," Bradley confirmed after a second-round 67 at The Open. "We have a 'for instance' that could happen. That can obviously change during the week.
"You've got to see how each player is playing, but we're learning as we go just like everybody else."
Bradley entered the final men's major of the year as world No 7 and 10th in the FedExCup standings, but sits ninth in the Ryder Cup qualification standings and outside the automatic spots.
Woods held a player-captain role for Team USA during their 2019 Presidents Cup victory, winning all three of his matches, and Bradley has discussed how to handle a potential dual role with the 15-time major champion.
"It's interesting because so many times in my career I've leaned on other players to help me go through situations, whether it's endorsements or certain situations or how I feel in tournaments. I have no one to talk to about this," Bradley explained.
"I can't call someone who's done it. Tiger Woods did it at the Presidents Cup. I've spoken to him a ton about this. There's a few other guys that have done it in the Presidents Cup, but the Ryder Cup is a much different animal.
"Tiger has been really helpful. He obviously turned this position down and it came to me, so he's been very helpful in this process. Tiger has been really, really great to me over the course of my career.
"He does a lot of things for us players that he doesn't do for the media. So he's been really helpful to me my whole life. During this process, he's been one of the most helpful people that I've had."
Bradley confirmed he has not signed a captain's agreement with Luke Donald and Team Europe, which outlines the rules, conditions and abilities of captains and vice-captains, while he can still qualify automatically as a player.
"I've got to play really well to make the team just as if I wasn't the captain," he added. "I had a very similar year at Rome and didn't make the team. I have to keep going. I really need to play well this event and then in the [FedExCup] Playoffs.
"I feel like I'm a much better player right now than I've ever been. This is the best I've ever played throughout my entire career. I'm a way better chipper of the ball, which I've worked on.
"I'm very high in the stats on the Tour, which I never have been, which is a huge help. Putting a lot better, and I just feel a lot more comfortable being out there in these big moments. I do feel like I'm a much more well-rounded player now."
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