The tumult caused by Tiger Woods’s decision to reject the US Ryder Cup captaincy was made plain on Tuesday when Keegan Bradley admitted he had not had a single conversation with anybody about the role before he was offered it.
The PGA of America had delayed a decision for as long as possible in the hope Woods would lead Team USA at Bethpage Black in 2025, but the 15-times major champion said he did not feel he would be able to commit the time required to the captaincy while playing a key role in the PGA Tour’s peace negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Stewart Cink served as a vice-captain to Zach Johnson last year and was considered an obvious back-up option. Bradley was agonisingly overlooked for a captain’s pick as a player in Rome, with his despair captured by Netflix’s Full Swing cameras, and he conceded he was as surprised as anyone when Johnson delivered the shock news to him personally last month.
“I got a call from Seth [Waugh, PGA of America CEO] and John [Lindert, PGA of America president] and Zach, and I had trouble talking,” Bradley, 38, who will become the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, said.
“I don’t think I reacted in the way they were expecting me to. I was in complete shock. It was heavy. I was a little bit uncomfortable with some of the guys — my idols — that were looked over for this position. I needed a second to figure that out. I don’t think I’ll ever have a bigger surprise in my life.”
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The 2011 PGA champion spoke impressively about the role, but he remains a decidedly left-field choice given he has never even served as a vice-captain. Bradley only represented Team USA twice as a player, in 2012 and 2014, and, although he performed impressively alongside Phil Mickelson at the former, he was on the losing side on both occasions.
Bradley said he is seeking to take a “fresh look” after Team Europe’s comprehensive victory in Rome and plans to appoint younger vice-captains, too. The world No19 also claimed the fact he is still competing at the highest level will be beneficial since he is around potential team members on a regular basis and did not rule out emulating Palmer as a playing captain.
“I want to play on the team. I feel as though I’m still in the prime of my career,” he said. “I’m not going to pick myself. The only way that would happen is if the team was insisting on it.”
Bradley added that he would pick the 12 best players available to him regardless of how golf’s civil war progresses. Woods will meanwhile focus on those protracted discussions, but the surprise among Bradley and some notable Ryder Cup team members, including Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler, suggested the 48-year-old’s snub had arrived as a shock.
“With my new responsibilities to the Tour and the time commitments involved, I felt I could not commit the time to Team USA and the players required as captain,” Woods said in an explanatory statement. “This does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain in the future. If and when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for the committee to decide.”
