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USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will rookies be welcomed on the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team? Depends who you ask
Are Ryder Cup rookies going to get a fair shake as captain's picks for the U.S. side? It depends who you ask. With his second victory of the season on Sunday at the John Deere Classic, Brian Campbell is making an impassioned push to be one of the 12 players to represent the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in late September. Yet the 32-year-old Campbell, who played last season on the Korn Ferry Tour, still sits in 28th place in the U.S. Ryder Cup point standings, three spots behind Jordan Spieth, a five-time Ryder Cupper but who hasn't won in more than three years. And that's after Campbell jumped 18 spots from last week. It brings up the age-old Ryder Cup debate of form vs experience. But golf instructor Adam Schriber brought up another wrinkle, which is just how much consideration rookies will get this time under the captaincy of Keegan Bradley? In the aftermath of Schriber's student J.J. Spaun winning the U.S. Open last month, Schriber already was looking ahead to Bethpage. 'We ought to get that Ryder Cup now,' he said to a couple of journalists at Oakmont shortly after Spaun rolled in his clinching 64-foot birdie putt. 'They said they won't pick us. They said you got to get in the top 6. They're not taking any rookies this time.' Spaun's victory coupled with five top-6 finishes on the season, including a playoff loss at the Players Championship in March, has Spaun looking to be a lock to make the team at third in the current standings. (The top 6, who automatically qualify, will be finalized on Aug. 17 after the BMW Championship.) Schriber didn't specify who had told him that Spaun and other rookies better be in the automatic picks if they wanted on the team. A few days later, during a phone interview with Bradley discussing the Ryder Cup, I asked him about his approach to rookies being on the 12-man team this year. 'There is a lot of data that says rookies are great in the Ryder Cup,' he answered. 'I know I played my best Ryder Cup when I was a rookie (in 2012). For me, when I won my PGA championship (in 2011), that was my first major tournament I'd ever played in and I didn't know what majors were like so like you go into it as a rookie and you don't know what to expect and I think that that can be an advantage sometimes.' Indeed, Bradley has done his homework. According to 21 Club's stats guru Justin Ray, the U.S. hasn't had a year where rookies had a losing record since 2010. Rookies as captain's picks have a solid track record for the U.S., with an overall record of 20-17-8. In 2021, the most recent Ryder Cup on American soil, U.S. Captain Steve Stricker invested four of his captain's picks on rookies and they delivered on his faith in them going 8-4-1 for the week. When I broached Schriber's suggestion that rookies better make the team via the top 6, Bradley was quick to dismiss it. 'I don't know where that came from. That's not from me or us. That couldn't be further from the truth,' he said. 'We want the 12 best players, I don't care how many Ryder Cups they've played in, where they play, if you're one of the 12 best Americans and we feel like you can help us win I don't care whether you're a rookie, LIV, PGA Tour, it doesn't matter to me.' The following week, I bumped into Schriber in Detroit while he was watching his pupil Sam Ryder play in the pro-am and asked him who had made the comment about rookies. He said vice captain Kevin Kisner had relayed that sentiment to him and Spaun. Reached by phone, Kisner confirmed it but said Schriber misinterpreted him and it was designed as a motivational tactic. 'We tell everybody that,' Kisner said. 'We're telling all of them to strive to be in the top 6. That's the way it's always been.' Kisner, who never made a U.S. Ryder Cup team, recalled Stricker giving him the same speech ahead of Whistling Straits. 'That motivated me to play better,' said Kisner, who would win the Wyndham Championship just a few weeks before Stricker made his captain's picks. 'You see that with Ben Griffin. He's playing just about every week because he's trying to make the team. I see it as a positive thing.' Despite Stricker telling Kisner he would have to earn his way on to the team, he ended up taking six rookies, passing on Kisner in favor of another first timer, Scottie Scheffler. The record of Scheffler and those six U.S. rookies the last time the Ryder Cup was played on home soil? 14-4-3 and a huge reason the U.S. won in record fashion in 2021. In the last three home Ryder Cups, American rookies have a mark of 28-12-3. (U.S. rookies went a respectable 7-6-2 on the road in 2023 during the beat down in Rome.) According to 'The Cup They Couldn't Lose,' the fine book by Shane Ryan centering around America's victory in 2021, "Stricker had long maintained that he was happy to have so many first-timers – they came in with no Ryder Cup scar tissue.' Spaun isn't the only Ryder Cup rookie currently in the top 6. So, too, is Russell Henley, who is No. 4, though he did get some Cup experience last year at the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal and made a winning pairing with Scheffler. But those who may be motivated to make sure they get into the top 6 include Griffin, at No. 8, Maverick McNealy at No. 11 and Andrew Novak at No. 13. Lucas Glover, who won the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage, sits 16th, and Cameron Young, who won the 2017 New York State Open as an amateur with a then-record 64 at Bethpage, is No. 17. Next week's British Open at Royal Portrush includes double points and could go a long way to shaping the team. Will Tour mainstays of recent U.S. team's such as Spieth (8-7-3 since his debut in 2014), who is 25th in points, and LIV players such as Patrick Reed (7-3-2 lifetime in three Cup appearances), who won a PGA Tour event at Bethpage and recently claimed his first LIV title, and Brooks Koepka (7-6-2), who shot a course-record 63 at Bethpage en route to the 2019 PGA Championship there, be given greater consideration for their past successes at Bethpage and experience in the pressure cooker that is the biennial competition with Europe over unproven first timers? Time will tell, but to hear Bradley and Kisner tell it, being a rookie won't be held against them. Still, Griffin, McNealy and Novak may want to keep chasing an automatic pick just to be sure. In fact, if a captain is having second thoughts about fielding a team with several rookies, it might very well be Europe's Luke Donald as the Euro rookies combined match record in the last two Ryder Cup is a dismal 6-13-4.
NBC Sports
23-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Door wide open for Keegan Bradley to be Ryder Cup playing captain after Travelers win
It didn't take long after Keegan Bradley's victory Sunday at the Travelers Championship for the U.S. Ryder Cup captain to consider the irony. 'My whole life, every year I was out here, I wanted to play on the Ryder Cup team, and then this would be the first year where maybe I didn't want to,' said Bradley, a two-time Ryder Cupper, though not since 2014, who was named captain exactly a year ago Sunday. 'I just wanted to be the captain and, of course, you know, this is what happens.' For months, Bradley has been adamant that he wouldn't pick himself. The only way he'd be a playing captain, he's said consistently, is if he qualified for the 12-man American team based on points. Even in the moments after he sank a 5-footer for birdie to win the Travelers for the second time in three years, Bradley dodged the obvious question from CBS reporter Amanda Balionis. Have you convinced yourself that you would be additive to this team now? 'Go U.S.A.!' Bradley answered. But once he had settled behind the interview podium, Bradley had allowed himself to be realistic. His win projected to move him not only to seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking but also ninth in U.S. Ryder Cup points. The last time a top-10 player in the world was left off a Ryder Cup team was 2016, when Bubba Watson was denied a spot on the U.S. squad despite being ranked seventh in the world. Bradley is also now 10th in total strokes gained this season on Tour and third in strokes gained tee to green. There's a lot of golf still to be played before the six automatic selections are finalized on Aug. 17 after the BMW Championship and the six captain's pick are chosen following the Tour Championship. But if things were decided today, Bradley would be hard-pressed to not call his own number. He knows it, too. 'This changes the story a little bit,' Bradley said. 'I never would have thought about playing if I hadn't won. This definitely opens the door to play. I don't know if I'm going to do it or not, but I certainly have to take a pretty hard look at what's best for the team, and we'll see.' When Bradley got the call a year ago, then PGA CEO Seth Waugh told Bradley that he wanted him to be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Palmer would go 4-2 that year at East Lake in a dominating U.S. victory. 'My head was spinning, I didn't know what they were talking about, but they knew that that was a possibility and that we would have things in place for that,' Bradley said. 'But you know I'm always trying to be the best that I can be, and I feel like I'm playing the best golf of my career right now.' Later, while on the Golf Central set with Golf Channel's Rich Lerner and Brandel Chamblee, Bradley said that if he plays at Bethpage Black, he will not relinquish his captaincy. Instead, his assistants – Jim Furyk, Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner and Brandt Snedeker – would just absorb extra responsibilities. 'I will play if I feel like it will help the team,' Bradley added. Right now, there's no doubt he would. The door is wide open for that.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
After 'stupidest' penalty, Shane Lowry among those exiting U.S. Open early
OAKMONT, Pa. – All Shane Lowry could do was laugh. Battered, bruised and by this point, probably a little loopy, Lowry was well on his way to missing this U.S. Open cut by a mile Friday evening when he picked up his ball on Oakmont's 14th green with his ball marker still tucked away in his pocket. Advertisement 'Probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done,' Lowry said, still laughing. 'I picked the ball up, had the ball in my hand, turned around to Darren (Reynolds, his caddie) and he basically said to me, 'What the f--- are you doing?' … By then maybe my mind was somewhere else.' The blunder resulted in a one-stroke penalty, and Lowry, after replacing his ball and barely missing his 55-footer for bogey, walked toward the next hole at 16 over. He'd end the round a shot worse thanks to a bogey at the par-4 15th, where Lowry's laugh turned into a few expletives as he tapped in his putt, and with scores of 79-78, Lowry missed just his second cut in his past seven U.S. Open starts. 'I don't know to be honest,' Lowry said when asked what happened. 'I drove it in play a lot yesterday, did what I was supposed to do off the tee, and then just didn't have my game that I've had for the last while. And then I really struggled on the greens yesterday, and the round got away from me out here, and that was it. 'They let it sort of do what they said it wouldn't do, but that's all fine, that's the U.S. Open. I just made obviously too many doubles, too many big mistakes, and then when I got a couple chances, I didn't convert them. I didn't really do much right to be honest, other than I drove the ball as good as I've probably driven the ball in a long time. So, yeah, weird couple of days.' Advertisement The 36-hole cut wasn't finalized on rainy Friday thanks the the skies opening up with a few groups still finishing up, but it was assuredly to fall at 7 over. Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Fitzpatrick will be among those sneaking into the weekend on the number. Just below them, though, were notable names such as Ludvig Aberg, who was 2 under after two holes Thursday before he shot 72-76; Patrick Cantlay, who went 76-72; Wyndham Clark, who matched 74s both days; and Phil Mickelson, who doubled two of his last four holes to join the unfortunate group at 8 over. LIV's points leader Joaquin Niemann was 10 over, as was Dustin Johnson, who won at Oakmont nine years ago, and Bryson DeChambeau, the actual defending champion this week who backed up his opening 73 with a 77 and wasted no time bolting the property. Justin Thomas, at 12 over, has now missed three straight U.S. Open cuts. And though Lowry's 17-over score was easily the most shocking, he wasn't the only potential European Ryder Cupper who is headed home early. Aberg will certainly be on Luke Donald's team at Bethpage later this year, as will Tommy Fleetwood, who missed at 9 over. Sepp Straka (11 over) and Justin Rose (14 over) also didn't come close to sticking around two more days.
NBC Sports
14-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
After 'stupidest' penalty, Shane Lowry among those exiting U.S. Open early
OAKMONT, Pa. – All Shane Lowry could do was laugh. Battered, bruised and by this point, probably a little loopy, Lowry was well on his way to missing this U.S. Open cut by a mile Friday evening when he picked up his ball on Oakmont's 14th green with his ball marker still tucked away in his pocket. 'Probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done,' Lowry said, still laughing. 'I picked the ball up, had the ball in my hand, turned around to Darren (Reynolds, his caddie) and he basically said to me, 'What the f--- are you doing?' … By then maybe my mind was somewhere else.' The blunder resulted in a one-stroke penalty, and Lowry, after replacing his ball and barely missing his 55-footer for bogey, walked toward the next hole at 16 over. He'd end the round a shot worse thanks to a bogey at the par-4 15th, where Lowry's laugh turned into a few expletives as he tapped in his putt, and with scores of 79-78, Lowry missed just his second cut in his past seven U.S. Open starts. 'I don't know to be honest,' Lowry said when asked what happened. 'I drove it in play a lot yesterday, did what I was supposed to do off the tee, and then just didn't have my game that I've had for the last while. And then I really struggled on the greens yesterday, and the round got away from me out here, and that was it. 'They let it sort of do what they said it wouldn't do, but that's all fine, that's the U.S. Open. I just made obviously too many doubles, too many big mistakes, and then when I got a couple chances, I didn't convert them. I didn't really do much right to be honest, other than I drove the ball as good as I've probably driven the ball in a long time. So, yeah, weird couple of days.' The 36-hole cut wasn't finalized on rainy Friday thanks the the skies opening up with a few groups still finishing up, but it was assuredly to fall at 7 over. Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Fitzpatrick will be among those sneaking into the weekend on the number. Just below them, though, were notable names such as Ludvig Aberg, who was 2 under after two holes Thursday before he shot 72-76; Patrick Cantlay, who went 76-72; Wyndham Clark, who matched 74s both days; and Phil Mickelson, who doubled two of his last four holes to join the unfortunate group at 8 over. LIV's points leader Joaquin Niemann was 10 over, as was Dustin Johnson, who won at Oakmont nine years ago, and Bryson DeChambeau, the actual defending champion this week who backed up his opening 73 with a 77 and wasted no time bolting the property. Justin Thomas, at 12 over, has now missed three straight U.S. Open cuts. And though Lowry's 17-over score was easily the most shocking, he wasn't the only potential European Ryder Cupper who is headed home early. Aberg will certainly be on Luke Donald's team at Bethpage later this year, as will Tommy Fleetwood, who missed at 9 over. Sepp Straka (11 over) and Justin Rose (14 over) also didn't come close to sticking around two more days.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Son of a PGA Tour winner, Canadian teen and investment banker qualify for RBC Canadian Open
Son of a PGA Tour winner, Canadian teen and investment banker qualify for RBC Canadian Open Just a couple weeks after making his Korn Ferry Tour debut, Cristian DiMarco is moving on up to the big time. The 29-year-old son of three-time PGA Tour winner and former U.S. Ryder Cupper Chris DiMarco, carded five birdies and two bogeys and shot 3-under 68 at The Pulpit Club on Sunday to take medalist honors at the RBC Canadian Open qualifier. In doing so, he earned one of four open spots into the field of 156 and secured his first start at a PGA Tour event. [It was held on Sunday rather than Monday to make way for U.S. Open Final Qualifying.] DiMarco, who played his college golf at University of South Florida and remains a Tampa resident, previously played on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2019 and 2022, making just one cut each year, and PGA Tour Canada in 2023, where he also managed to make just one cut in five starts. But he recently Monday qualified for the KFT's AdventHealth Championship and made the cut, finishing T-45. A southpaw who putts right-handed, DiMarco earned a spot in the field at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ontario. DiMarco's father, 56, who lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff at the 2005 Masters and to Vijay Singh at the 2004 PGA Championship, played in the RBC Canadian Open 17 times, including recording a T-9 in 1998. Yi Cao and Josh Goldenberg both made five birdies and three bogeys and tied for second at 2-under 69. Like DiMarco, Goldenberg had never made a start even in a KFT event and started a job in March at investment bank Goldman Sachs. But with the qualifier being held on Sunday, he decided to give it a go. 'A dream come true,' he told Moday Q Info's Ryan French. Eighteen-year-old Canadian amateur Matthew Javier, a Team Canada NextGen member, overcame a double bogey to shoot 70 and won a two-for-one playoff for the final spot over Toronto's Mark Hoffman. The RBC Canadian Open begins on Thursday. Robert MacIntyre is the defending champion.
