Jordan Spieth Wanting To Have 'Fun' Was A Key Factor In Getting Keegan Bradley U.S. Ryder Cup Captaincy
Tiger Woods occupied the top of every most-wanted list when it came to potential captains for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2025. So, when he somewhat surprisingly took his name out of the hat, those responsible for finding a captain had to do a bit of scrambling before ultimately circling Keegan Bradley.
Among the small number of individuals who had a say in the matter was Jordan Spieth, who was about as candid as you could ever imagine when Bradley's name first entered the conversation based on reports.
Outgoing PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, PGA of America president John Lindert, vice president Don Rea, and U.S. team manager John Wood sat down for a video call during the Travelers Championship to decide on the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain.
According to Gabby Herzig of The Athletic, the crop of candidates left remaining were your typical suspects out of the ‘task force’ pipeline such as Stewart Cink, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III who all had experience in past Ryder Cups.
Waugh, just days ahead of his resignation as PGA of America CEO, was reportedly the first to mention Bradley's name.
It didn't take long for Spieth to offer up his opinion.
"There are some choices that don’t sound like a lot of fun," Spieth said, according to the source Herzig spoke with. "Playing for Keegan sounds like fun." Just minutes later, the committee made up their mind, Bradley was their guy.
Jordan Spieth is all-in on Keegan Bradley being named U.S. Ryder Cup captain for 2025. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Speith Fully Behind Keegan Bradley
While it may seem a bit too simple for "fun" to play a factor in picking a captain to lead the U.S. team, fun hasn't been a part of the equation for the Americans nearly as consistently as it should be.
The U.S. has lost eight of the last 11 Ryder Cups to Team Europe. In other words, the system in place and returning to the ‘old guard’ to lead the Americans has not worked, period.
Bradley will turn just 39 years old a few months before the 2025 Ryder Cup, making him the youngest U.S. captain since Arnold Palmer held the role at 34 in 1963.
Spieth, who has played in each of the last five Ryder Cups, will have to take his play to a higher level between now and next Fall if he wants to be a member of the American squad. He's well aware of that reality, but also aware that a drastic change of pace is exactly what the U.S. team needed, and it certainly checked that box in giving the captaincy to Bradley.