US Ryder Cup captain Bradley cuts himself from the team, boosts 2 rookies

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00:00Keegan Bradley has chosen his team.

00:02The U.S. Ryder Cup captain added six players to the roster

00:05who will compete against Europe in the biennial event

00:08next month at Bethpage Black in New York.

00:12It's the name he left off the list that is drawing all the attention.

00:16His own.

00:19Bradley, a first-time captain, chose veteran players

00:22Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Colin Morikawa, and Sam Burns,

00:27along with Ryder Cup rookies Ben Griffin and Cameron Young

00:31to round out an all-star American team

00:34that includes the likes of major champions

00:36Scotty Scheffler, J.J. Spahn, Xander Schauffele, and Bryson DeChambeau.

00:42Bradley certainly could have chosen himself.

00:44He was the last man left off the 2023 Ryder Cup squad,

00:48but has played in the event twice.

00:50He's the eighth-ranked U.S. golfer in the world

00:53and has won twice on the PGA Tour in the last 13 months.

00:57He wrestled with the decision after his win at the Travelers in June

01:01and said Wednesday it broke his heart not to be playing.

01:05I would say there was a point this year where I was playing a while ago

01:09and, you know, all these guys stepped up in a major way

01:13and played their way onto this team.

01:15And that's something that I'm really proud of

01:17and something that I really wanted.

01:18But it was an extremely difficult decision and, you know,

01:24but one that I'm really happy with.

01:26I'm really happy with these six players and I'm glad it's over.

01:32Arnold Palmer was the last U.S. playing captain in 1963.

01:36And though Bradley said he's glad the decision is over,

01:39the scrutiny is just beginning.

01:41The Americans have won only three of 11 Ryder Cup tournaments since 2002,

01:47including a loss in Rome in 2023.

01:51The rivalry is at an all-time high

01:53and golf's latest viewership numbers prove the game is in a good place.

01:58Tommy Fleetwood's dramatic season-ending Tour Championship win Sunday

02:02was watched by 4.5 million viewers,

02:05an increase of 34% from last year.

02:07CBS averaged nearly 3 million viewers during their season-long coverage,

02:12up 17% from a year ago.

02:15This year's Ryder Cup could set viewership records,

02:18and Colin Morikawa says the pressure to win is real.

02:22We always talk about pressure being a privilege,

02:25and I think all 12 of us are going to be ready to step on that tee,

02:28and it's how we take that into our hands

02:30and look at pressure as something that we can overcome,

02:34and we're going to use that as a positive in our way

02:37and obviously being at home is going to be as helpful as you could ask.

02:41Bradley's decisions consumed the golf world for the better part of two months.

02:45Asked why it drew so much attention, he said,

02:47I guess the Ryder Cup's a big deal.

02:49The Ryder Cup at Bethpage is going to sort of transcend the golf world.

02:53I think it's going to become an iconic North American sporting event.

02:57And, you know, anytime you play for your country in New York,

03:00it's extra special, but especially at a place like Bethpage Black,

03:03that's a public golf course that the local people play, that is affordable.

03:09We have an extreme obligation to defend their course,

03:12and I think this is a great opportunity to grow the game.

03:14I think that will happen naturally with how great this event will be.

03:17Bradley said the phone calls to players who didn't make the team,

03:20like Maverick McNeely, Chris Godderup, and Brian Harmon,

03:24were tougher than leaving himself out of the playing rotation.

03:27But, he added, all the drama will be worth it

03:30if the U.S. can win back the cup in September.

03:34For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis.

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