DeChambeau and Mickelson think Keegan Bradley is the man for the Ryder Cup captain job

It was a surprise for everyone. Nobody saw that coming, but after some initial disbelief came a glimpse of hope. Can Keegan Bradley be the leader the US needs to win at Bethpage Black in New York in 2025? He’s likable, he’s competitive and he has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove he’s the man for the job.

In his first appearance after the announcement Bradley made it clear that the boys’ club is a thing of the past and he’s going to take the 12 best players for Team USA. You could almost hear a sigh of relief from LIV golfers who want to represent their country and beat the Europeans on American soil.

What did LIV golfers say about Keegan Bradley as US Ryder Cup captain?

At Valderrama on Wednesday morning 2024 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and six-time major winner Phil Mickelson gave their opinion on the surprise appointment. “I was surprised at the pick,” Mickeslon said. “I think it’s a great pick the more I think about it. He played a lot of golf at Bethpage when he went to St. Johns. His passion for the Ryder Cup is greater than just about any player I’ve ever seen.”

DeChambeau agreed and thinks it could be a good match for Team USA. “Yeah, look, I’m excited for him. I think it’s a great opportunity for him, especially as it relates to younger players. He’s going to see that younger threshold, and obviously relate to them a lot more, I would say, because of his age,” he said.

In 2023 the only LIV player who got the call from Zach Johnson was Brooks Koepka. In hindsight Dustin Johnson and/or Bryson Dechambeau could have made the difference in what was a blowout on Friday, which ended up being a lot closer by the end of play on Sunday in Rome.

DeChambeau added, “As far as picking the best players, that’s the right approach and I couldn’t be more happy for him as captain.” In his first appearance after being named captain, Bradley made it clear he wants the best 12 players when September 2025 comes around and that is motivation for the group of LIV players.

European star Jon Rahm gave his opinion on the appointment: “I understand Keegan, as well, right. His Ryder Cup showings, he was a very enthusiastic player. He made his mark. Him and Phil had a great partnership, and there’s some great highlights from him at Medinah. So he’s a man from the northeast.”

We’re almost one year away from the Ryder Cup captain’s picks and it will be interesting to see who Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley end up choosing. But, one thing is for certain, it’s not going to be only PGA Tour players competing for their countries/continent, the best players in the world will be competing at Bethpage.