Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss who Keegan Bradley should select for his captain’s picks, Tommy Fleetwood’s win and more.
With the conclusion of the Tour Championship on Sunday, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will now complete his squad with six captain’s picks he’ll make on Wednesday. Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau are already on the squad. Put on your captain’s cap and name the six wild-card picks YOU would make.
Dylan Dethier, senior writer ( @dylan_dethier): Gimme Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley. Don’t think anybody else needs to answer — those are the correct picks.
Josh Schrock, news editor (@Schrock_And_Awe): I have the same six as Dylan. I think it would be electric if Keegan took Sam Burns and left Ben Griffin at home just for the #BoysClub discourse, but those are the right six.
Zephyr Melton, game-improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): How about Keegan takes Burns over HIMSELF and focuses on his duties as captain? The fact that the U.S. gave the captaincy to a guy who’s got four career Ryder Cup points simply because he got his feelings hurt last time is absurd enough. Let’s not compound errors.
Dethier: Maverick McNealy. The numbers say he’s the best guy not on my team, but he just hasn’t done enough this summer to jump out as a must-pick.
Schrock: The numbers might say McNealy, but I think the biggest snub is Burns, who was nails at the Presidents Cup and pairs well with Scheffler.
Melton: Likely Burns because we all know Keegan is picking himself…
The biggest decision on Wednesday might be if Bradley picks himself to be a playing captain. At East Lake, he admitted his situation is “unique” because of his age (39). “You worry that people maybe on my side will say, if you don’t win, that was a mistake, that was self-indulgent,” he said. “I’m very well aware of that. No matter what decision I make, I’m going to be defined by this decision. If we win, it doesn’t matter what decision I make.” While we already know your opinion on if Keegs should pick himself, do you think it was unfair for the PGA of America to put him in this situation in the first place? Should they have looked for a captain who wouldn’t have had to worry about the potential distraction of playing too?
Dethier: What I’m most intrigued by, looking back, is the fact that Bradley’s selection came with the subtext that the PGA of America didn’t think he’d make the team. For a guy who loves proving people wrong, that must have been welcome fuel. But now that we’re here? I just think it’s awesome. I think he’s provided a spark to the squad and to the U.S. fans. I think it’s fun to see somebody pull double duty; this is a miniature version of Shohei Ohtani or Travis Hunter playing both ways. Sports are supposed to be fun and cool, after all. This makes the Ryder Cup that much more interesting.
Schrock: I think the issue is the captain’s cupboard was pretty bare, with Tiger seemingly uninterested and Phil being, you know, Phil. The PGA of America needed to find a captain and, let’s be honest, they needed to change things up. Based on Scheffler’s quotes about having a captain who is around the top players all the time and knows and understands them, I think the move actually had its intended effect. As Dylan noted, if it also brought the best out of Keegan as a player, that’s a bonus and will make for an electric week at Bethpage.
Melton: It’s still a head-scratcher that Keegan was selected as captain. Seems to me this was the consolation prize after he was snubbed for Rome. Was it an outside-the-box move? Yes — but on what merits? It’s not like the guy has been a stalwart for U.S. teams his entire career. To make a baseball analogy, would Aaron Boone be the manager of the Yankees if he didn’t hit a walk-off home run in 2003? No, and we see how that’s going. Would Keegan Bradley be the Ryder Cup captain if he’d unpacked his suitcase after the 2014 Ryder Cup?
Keegan Bradley makes birdie on No. 18 at Tour Championship
On the European side, we also now know the six auto-qualifiers: Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Hojgaard. Which team do you think has the edge with its auto-qualifiers? And anything stand out to you about the two sides?
Dethier: What stands out is that unless something unexpected happens, Team Europe is returning 11 of its 12 players from 2023, with a fascinating situation at No. 12 swapping Rasmus Hojgaard in for his twin brother Nicolai. What else? At risk of being rah-rah, what stands out is that this should be an awesome Ryder Cup; these are two sides whose top guys are firing on all cylinders.
Schrock: The Americans have the best player, but the Europeans have a better six, in my opinion, than the Americans, especially given how scratchy Xander’s play has been and the uncertainty of how Bryson (and his prototype ball) will mesh with the team.
Melton: Agree with Schrock above. I like the top end of the American side, but the Euros have lots of experience with their depth.
Tommy Fleetwood won the Tour Championship (and $10 million FedEx Cup first prize) on Sunday at East Lake. Why do you think Fleetwood’s win seemed to resonate for so many — LeBron James included?
Dethier: Golf will inevitably beat you down, especially when you’re not playing the kind of golf you want, but somehow it never beat Fleetwood down. There’s no cynicism there and no nasty ego — just an earnest attempt each and every time out. It’s hard to imagine anybody rooting against Fleetwood. And my gosh, he’s good. For anybody who’s ever come close but fallen short at anything, he’s a model for how to respond.
Schrock: I think the main thing that has made people gravitate toward Tommy is the eternal optimism he has shown in the face of some crushing disappointments. It’s his ability to be open and vulnerable in the moments after defeat and his relentless positivity as he climbs toward his goals that resonate. I think people want to root for people who are authentically themselves, and there is a magnetism in seeing someone fall and continue to get up and finally get across the line. Think Rory at the Masters, but on a smaller scale.
Melton: Sports fans love a story of redemption — and Tommy fits the bill. Watching someone summit the mountaintop after so many heartbreaks will always be compelling. Count me among those who smiled once that final putt dropped.
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