End of August and the long wait was over. For fascinated fans and an impatient media, the burning question was: would Team USA captain Keegan Bradley pick himself as a player-captain?
If he did, he would become the first to take on such an arduous role since Arnold Palmer led the Americans to a 23-9 rout at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in 1963.
Many hoped he would accept this daunting challenge.
Bradley had certainly played well enough over the last two years to earn a spot as a Team USA player. And adding to this was his recent victory at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in June.
For weeks, Bradley found himself inside a pressure cooker, not only for his own role but also for the Captain’s Picks he had to make. And opinions were coming from all sides, both for and against what could be the challenge of a lifetime: a dual player-captain role.
Team USA
Finally, August 27, Bradley announced his six Captain’s Picks, and he did not include himself as a player-captain.
On the day of the announcement, Bradley said how much he cherished the overwhelming and wide fan support he had received since being named as his team’s captain. And regarding his choice of players for his Captain’s Picks, he commented: “This was a really tough decision. There was a point this year where I was playing [i.e., included as a Team USA player] a while ago, but all these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way onto this team. That is something I’m really proud of and something I really wanted, but it was an extremely difficult decision but one I’m really happy with. I’m really happy with these six players—and I’m glad it’s over.”
Bradley now has his final Team USA lineup as follows:
[Qualifying players]
- Scottie Scheffler
- J.J. Spaun
- Xander Schauffele
- Russell Henley
- Harris English
- Bryson DeChambeau
[Captain’s Picks]
- Justin Thomas
- Collin Moikawa
- Ben Griffin
- Cameron Young
- Patrick Cantlay
- Sam Burns
Summary: With some observers admitting “shock” at captain Bradley’s decision not to pick himself as a player, the majority of opinion seems to favor his wise decision. This is a team loaded with talent. The secret or not so secret weapon for Team USA is World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, and Scheffler is no doubt feeling the weight of these great expectations by now. It all comes down to the individual player’s form on the day, the 5 days of the Ryder Cup, with each of these players more than capable of making a winning contribution to the final outcome.
Team Europe
Interest and excitement had also been bubbling for Luke Donald’s final Team Europe lineup.
Which six of Europe’s top players would Donald pick, giving them the biggest accolade of their professional careers?
The announcement was made on Monday, September 1, with the full team lineup given below.
Luke Donald opened his Captain’s Picks’ announcement by saying: “We are a settled and united team with a strong culture, with 11 of the 12 players from the victory in Rome returning, and an exciting, talented rookie in Rasmus Højgaard, who was around our team environment in Rome.
“We also have a lot of experience and that is going to be important going to Bethpage because we know the challenge that awaits us.
“Although the team itself is similar to Rome, I have approached this captaincy from a very different angle. A different challenge requires different thinking and strategies.”
[Qualifying players]
- Rory McIlroy
- Robert McIntyre
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Justin Rose
- Rasmus Højgaard
[Captain’s Picks]
- Shane Lowry
- Jon Rahm
- Sepp Straka
- Viktor Hovland
- Ludvig Åberg
- Matt Fitzpatrick
Summary: The team lineup sees the largest all-time team carryover of players (11) from the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, with Rasmus Højgaard replacing his brother Nicolai Højgaard being the only change. Having automatically qualified, Rasmus Højgaard is the only Ryder Cup rookie in this team. With Team Europe having a tried and tested victorious team from 2023, as the defending holders of the Cup, they will be pitching all out for a 2025 victory.
Vice Captains
In addition to the twenty-four players, both qualified and picked for the Ryder Cup, the two teams’ vice captains also play a vital role. These veteran players, chosen by their respective team captains, give the team players vital mentoring support. This support can have a decisive impact on team morale and motivation.
Keegan Bradley has chosen the following five veteran players as his Team USA vice captains: Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeke, and Gary Woodland.
Luke Donald has chosen four Team Europe vice-captain: Spain’s José María Olazábal, Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, and (his brother) Francesco Molinari.