13-07-2025
No Ryder Cup regrets for Keegan Bradley over huge call as Team USA pal insists he can wear two hats
Xander Schauffele has no doubt his captain won't regret his choice
Convinced Xander Schauffele insists Keegan Bradley will not regret his Ryder Cup decision.
The American skipper is facing an epic dilemma with just over two months to go before the Bethpage crunch.
Bradley's outstanding play has seen him rocket into contention for a playing place in the 12-man hosts unit. However, with the demands of a modern-day Ryder Cup, incredible strain would be placed onto the 39-year-old if he opts to captain and play at the same time.
Schauffele will be in the side and, asked if its possible to wear both hats and do both jobs during since a seismic week, he said: 'Yeah, clearly he's earning it. If you ask him, he's playing the best golf of his career. We just want our best 12 playing. I think that's sort of what it really comes down to.
'So he is just flying up the qualifying, that standings leaderboard. Would I be surprised if he got into the top six and wasn't even a conversation anymore? I don't think I'd be very surprised and I don't think he would, either.
'If he does, it's going to be a fun situation for himself, but I think he's surrounded himself with really good vice captains. I don't think he's going to make a decision he regrets.'
Bradley has Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner and Gary Woodland as vice-captains and, speaking at his pre-tournament briefing at the Genesis Scottish Open, Schauffele continued: 'You have to prepare and practise and get your head in the right place. It would probably be some sort of co-captaincy. It wouldn't be that on paper. He would still be. But, at the end of the day, they are big shoes to fill and to do it all alone would be really difficult, even if he wasn't playing.'
Europe's stars are intrigued at the situation with Rory McIlroy stating the importance of having Luke Donald as focal-point figurehead for his team.
McIlroy believes Bradley is the right form to play at Bethpage, but said: 'I think they give the captaincy a different perspective, absolutely. It really feels like it's a player-led team in America. Obviously, we have our input as players on The European Team, but we do have that one figurehead in Luke. I think that's important.
'I think even going back to Rome, when the Americans got off to a pretty rough start, I think because Zach [Johnson] gave the team so much ownership, they had no one to look to. They were looking at each other instead of having a focal point, tell us what to do.
'That is something that Europe has done very, very well. But also the players have allowed the captain to be a captain as well. Keegan has played great. He's had a great year. He had the win at the Travelers. Obviously I'm not in those conversations and from an outside perspective, it's going to be interesting to see what the US Team does with that.
'I definitely think the US Team is better with Keegan playing than not playing. I definitely think he's one of the best 12 American players right now. It's going to be an interesting couple months to see how that all shakes out.'
