Phil Mickelson All-In On Keegan Bradley Being Named U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Despite Being Passed Over Himself
Phil Mickelson may have burnt any and all bridges he had built leading to eventually being named captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team when he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. Only time will tell if that is the case or not, but what we do know at this point is that Mickelson will have to wait at least a few more years to potentially have his name called to lead the Americans in the biennial event.
In an alternate reality, if you take away the whole leaving and bad-mouthing PGA Tour thing while taking his talents to a Saudi-backed rival circuit, Mickelson would have likely been a top candidate for the U.S. captaincy in 2025 after Tiger Woods officially turned down the opportunity.
The lefty has plenty of experience representing the U.S. as both an assistant and player, while checking the box of the ‘task force’ approach the PGA of America has adopted to select captains over the years. Nevertheless, with LIV Golf and the Saudi's role in the professional game still very much in the air, it's no surprise that Mickelson's name was passed over.
What was a surprise, one of the biggest we've witnessed in the sport in quite some time, was Keegan Bradley getting the nod to captain the U.S. team in 2025 when the event heads to Bethpage Black in New York.
Phil Mickelson Seems Genuinely Excited For Keegan Bradley's Opportunity
Mickelson admitted that he was surprised that Bradley, who will turn 39 just before next year's Ryder Cup, got the captain's chair but is excited to see him in the role.
"I was surprised at the pick, and 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. His love for the Ryder Cup is more than anybody I know. I think he's going to lead with that type of passion," Mickelson said ahead of this week's LIV event in Spain.
"I think he's incredible. I'm really, really happy for him. I think we all are really happy for him knowing how gut-wrenching it was to not be part of the team last year, but to now have the opportunity to lead and go forward I think is great."
Mickelson's thoughts on Bradley's captaincy seem to align with the majority of golf fans out there.
There may not be another person - American or European - who has more passion for the Ryder Cup than Bradley. Having been on the losing end in both of his appearances as a player and then being passed on as a captain's pick a year ago, the fire Bradley is going to bring to New York next Fall could very well be unlike anything we've seen.