To close the 2025 season, when Keegan Bradley entered the East Lake Golf Club to register for the Tour Championship, he did so in what was called the ‘Captain’s Room’. Filled with mementos from 1963 when Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain for Team USA in the Ryder Cup, the irony did not get lost. 62 years later, Bradley wants to follow the same route. Ending the Tour Championship at T7 should ease his decision for himself. With six players fixed, he has the rest of the team to choose as well.

In what Bradley calls the biggest decision of his life, the captain, who missed a chance to play in the last Ryder Cup, will be deciding the fate of six other players, which can very well include his own. However, he is not alone. His team of vice captains includes Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, and Gary Woodland. While the choice lies on all of their shoulders, Bradley thinks they have been talking behind his back.

In his post-round press conference, the 39-year-old didn’t hold back about the internal struggle of possibly leading while competing. He said, “Yeah, that’s going to be tougher. I’ve gone through a lot of stuff this year, I didn’t know how I was going to handle it. Proud of the way I did. This is a whole ‘nother animal. I have no clue. This is going to be really difficult. 

“When I get done here, we’re going to talk to my vice captains. We sort of put everything on hold the last couple days. I think they were trying to leave me alone. But we’ll get in touch with them and get our final decisions together. Saw a lot of Americans play great today, which makes me happy.”

While Bradley was trying to prove that he could still compete at the toughest level, he did not forget to keep an eye out for the rest of the field. Of course, he has to choose at least five more even if he decides to play. Surely, he did see some competition in East Lake. Patrick Cantlay pushed hard to finish runner-up at 15-under, while Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Young both delivered strong performances at 14-under, showing just how competitive the U.S. contingent was at East Lake. Tommy Fleetwood finally broke his winless streak.

But the team certainly has a lot to discuss. So, when a reporter asked how they connect, whether it is a Zoom call or text, Bradley again claimed what he thinks the vice captains are doing. He replied, “I think we’re going to do a little bit of everything. I’m sure they’ve been talking behind my back as I’m out there. I know they have a separate chat without me. I’m sure they have some of their opinions that they want to tell me what they think.

“Again, we didn’t talk at all last night. We talked but not about this. I think they were trying to leave me alone, like I said. Hopefully, I’ll get done here, pack up, and we’ll start chatting.”

Besides the creeping suspicion that his vice captains may have been making decisions without him, the toughest decision for Keegan Bradley is whether or not to pick himself as one of the six captain’s selections. Although his T7 finish at East Lake would probably make him a sure-shot pick if he weren’t the captain, he’s had some tough performances previously. The missed cut at the Masters Tournament, struggling to a T47 at the Valero Texas Open, and another missed cut at the Wyndham Championship were tough pills to swallow for Bradley.

Still, many want to see him compete. Just yesterday, Donald Trump weighed in on the debate, saying Keegan Bradley “should DEFINITELY be on the American Ryder Cup Team – As Captain!!!” His backing has only fueled the spotlight on Bradley’s looming choice, adding political weight and public intrigue to whether he’ll make history as the first playing captain since 1963.

Those highs and lows, both on and off the course, have taken their toll and set the stage for what comes next.

The balancing act has left Keegan Bradley exhausted

With a long season behind him and the most important announcement of his career just days away, Keegan Bradley is feeling the full weight of a role that continues to challenge him. On Wednesday, 27th August, Bradley will reveal his six captain’s picks for the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team, marking a pivotal step in what’s already become one of the most unexpected and unconventional captaincies in Ryder Cup history.

“It’s just really strange for me to be the captain. It’s not something anyone’s really ever gone through,” Bradley told Golf Magazine on Friday at East Lake. At just 39, Bradley is the youngest U.S. Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, and most previous captains were well past their competitive prime. However, the case for Bradley is different, as he had a phenomenal year, with one win at the 2025 Travelers Championship, five top-10 finishes, and is currently ranked 13th in the world.

Yet, he’s been juggling captain’s duties, his own form, and the relentless spotlight ever since being appointed. “I’m having a very hard time separating right now my captaincy and my play. For the past month it’s been like this, but this week, I’m trying so hard. But that’s all I’m thinking about. Thinking about pairings, certain things I want to say to the guys during the week. It’s just difficult,” Bradley admitted on Friday. That strain, he admitted, had taken its toll, and he can’t wait for that burden to be off — “I’ll be really happy when this week is over.”

As someone who has been on the other side of the call, Bradley understands what this decision is for the golfers. Who doesn’t want to represent their country? Being a captain, whether he plays or not, is a challenging role. Of course, the fate of Team USA relies on who he chooses to be his Team USA.