U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has said who “cannot expect” to be on this year’s Ryder Cup team, and a two-time major winner might be concerned.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will be played in September at the Bethpage Black Course in New York, and captain Bradley faces the unenviable task of selecting who he thinks are the best 12 American players to take on Europe in this titanic battle.
Europe decimated America in 2023, so it’s an important tournament on home turf for the U.S. Therefore, Bradley is faced with some momentous decisions in the coming weeks.
Keegan Bradley says anyone outside the top six ‘cannot expect’ to be selected for the Ryder Cup
Half of Bradley’s decision will be made for him. The top six eligible players following the BMW Championship on August 17, 2025 will automatically qualify for the team.
As of July 11, that includes Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, to name a couple.
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1 | Scottie Scheffler | 27,536,93 |
| 2 | Xander Schauffele | 12,272.7 |
| 3 | J.J. Spaun | 12,271.85 |
| 4 | Russell Henley | 11,166.85 |
| 5 | Bryson DeChambeau | 10,318 |
| 6 | Justin Thomas | 9997.69 |
But Bradley, speaking on the Fore Play podcast, said anybody outside of that cannot feel entitled to a place on the team.
When asked about the decision-making process, he said, “The simple fact of this: if you’re not in the top six, you cannot be expected to be on the team.
“When I wasn’t in the top six for Zach [Johnson] at Rome, I totally understood not being picked. You cannot expect to be on the team if you don’t finish in the top six, even if you’re seven.”
Johnson was the Team U.S. captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup, and did not select Bradley.
“When you get the call that you’re not on the team, and you’re not in the top six, I wasn’t mad at Zach. I got it.”
Collin Morikawa is among the players at risk of missing out on the 2025 Ryder Cup
That leaves some big names who could miss out. Currently, two-time major winner Collin Morikawa is seventh in the standings, chasing down Justin Thomas in sixth.
Bradley himself, who is enjoying a phenomenal 2025 with five top-10 finishes and a win at the Travellers Championship, isn’t in the top six, and by the sounds of it, probably won’t pick himself.
It’s not unprecedented for a captain to reach down the order for a player with Ryder Cup experience. Sometimes that’s what is best for the team. In 2013, Tiger Woods was ranked 50th. That meant a highly ranked player missed out.
Beneath Scheffler, U.S. golf’s biggest star who has already qualified with far and away the most points, the standings are pretty close, so expect some nervous players waiting by their phones at the end of the month.