Predicting Keegan Bradley’s captain’s picks for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The Ryder Cup is a month away, and captain Keegan Bradley is set to announce his six captain’s picks on Wednesday, August 27.
It’s a decision steeped in controversy. First of all, will Bradley pick himself as the playing captain? He’s ranked in the top 12, but he’d be the first playing captain since 1963, and Rory McIlroy said it cannot be done in the modern era. Bradley has been giving the decision a lot of thought.
If he does pick himself, who misses out? There is a long line of players who will feel hard done by should they miss out, even though players have told Bradley to play.
We already know the six automatic qualifiers, but here we predict the six men Bradley will select to join them.
| U.S. Rank | Qualified Player |
| 1 | Scottie Scheffler |
| 2 | J.J. Spaun |
| 3 | Xander Schauffele |
| 4 | Russell Henley |
| 5 | Harris English |
| 6 | Bryson DeChambeau |
1 . Justin Thomas
This is probably the easiest decision Bradley will have to make. Thomas has four top-two finishes this year, which include a win at the RBC Heritage. A dip in form at the end of the season saw Thomas drop out of automatic qualification, but he should be a surefire pick for Bradley.
He’s the spirit within the U.S. team and an incredible team event player. Thomas has a 17-7-4 record in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups and is 7-4-2 over his three Ryder Cups.
In what is set to be an inexperienced Ryder Cup team, Thomas provides much-needed experience and leadership for the Americans.
2. Collin Morikawa
Morikawa should be an easy selection for Bradley, but his 2025 form means he’s an opinion-splitting pick. The two-time major winner has the raw talent to be on the team, but based on his performances alone, he should be left at home.
He has four top-ten performances, but missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open recently. During the FedEx Cup playoffs, Morikawa finished T22, T33 and T19.
It would take a bold decision not to take Morikawa, however, and it’s not one Bradley is likely to make. He probably makes the team.
3. Cameron Young
Bradley said that anyone who finished outside the top six in the Ryder Cup standings cannot expect to be picked. With that said, he’s the first selection outside of the top 12 for America.
Cameron Young has made a strong case to be picked for the Ryder Cup. His recent form has been outstanding, having picked up his first PGA Tour win at the Wyndham Championship. Bethpage Black is also his local course, and Young set the course record there as an amateur.
His name wasn’t in the ring until recently, but Young’s finish to the 2025 season was strong enough for him to be picked for his hometown Ryder Cup in New York.
4. Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay’s strong showing against Tommy Fleetwood at the Tour Championship was the final push to show Bradley he should be picked for the Ryder Cup. He pushed Fleetwood to the 17th hole to round off a solid 2025.
He has finished in the top five on three different occasions and in the top 15 a total of nine times. He’s not been in real contention to win despite pressuring Fleetwood at East Lake, but his play throughout the season has shown consistent form.
Cantlay’s accurate iron play means he’s a sure bet for par on most holes, and a steady hand for Bradley to employ at Bethpage.
5. Sam Burns
Sam Burns ranks as one of the best 12 American players by strokes gained over the last year. He has six top-10s and 12 top-25s this season, and leads the PGA Tour in putting.
Burns’ driving length makes him an excellent fit for Bethpage Black, which the Americans are likely to set up long to suit the likes of Bryson DeChambeau off the tee.
Counting against Burns is the fact that he doesn’t have a win this season. But he has been consistently good for two years now, and can therefore be relied upon to maintain his level.
He also brings some much-needed Ryder Cup experience to the team.
6. Keegan Bradley
He’s just going to do it, isn’t he? The hottest topic of discussion and one of the most controversial decisions in Ryder Cup history is going to play out in front of our eyes in New York.
There are huge question marks about whether this is even possible. Not only does Bradley have a host of duties to fulfil in New York before he can even think about playing, the pressure heaped on his shoulders during the event could be crippling. He’ll get all of the blame if they lose.
But what’s undeniable is that Bradley has been one of the best 12 American golfers in 2025. He won at the Travelers, has six top-10s, and, if there was any doubt in his mind, he was in contention late on Sunday at the Tour Championship.
Bradley was snubbed two years ago in Rome, and this could be his final opportunity to play in what McIlroy describes as the best event in golf. Bradley will play in New York, and we’ll see if he sinks or swims.
Biggest snub: Ben Griffin
Ben Griffin would be by far the biggest snub if this is how the team is picked. He is ninth in the Ryder Cup standings and has been in good form in 2025.
Griffin claimed his first PGA Tour win at the Zurich Classic, partnering with Andrew Novak to win the team-format tournament. He then went on to win his first individual PGA Tour victory at Colonial Country Club.
Fans would fume if Griffin missed out to Bradley. However, Bradley said that there are people who expect to make the team who will miss out, and rumours swirled at the Tour Championship that one of those players would be Griffin.
If there wasn’t pressure on Bradley before, with this pick, the knives would be out in New York.