After Zach Johnson revealed his six wildcards for the US Ryder Cup team, one of the big names to miss out was Keegan Bradley.
The 37-year-old has made no secret of his desire to be on the team for the match at Marco Simone in Italy, and, before the BMW Championship, even admitted he thinks about it “every second I’m awake.”
However, after Bradley failed to qualify automatically, his wish wasn’t granted, despite a season that included victories in the Zozo Championship and the Travelers Championship.
Following Johnson’s announcement that Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns would complete the 12-player team instead, Bradley told The Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis that he knew the moment he took Johnson’s call it would be bad news.
He said: “I could tell by the response from Zach when I answered the phone that I wasn’t on the team. I’m super bummed out.”
Bradley then explained why he thought he had done enough to appear in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2014. He continued: “I thought I put together a really good year with two wins, including in Hartford over an elite field. I’m proud of what I’ve done.”
Of the players who were chosen ahead of Bradley, Thomas is one of the more controversial picks given his poor form in 2023. However, Bradley went on to say: “I think JT is a generational talent.”
Still, there are already suggestions that the team constitutes a “boys club” and Bradley was clear that’s something he’s never been a member of. He explained: “I’ve always been an outsider in the sport but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team.”
In the end, that was to no avail, and Bradley said he thinks the only way he’ll make the team in the future is to leave nothing to chance. He said: “I feel like moving forward I’m going to have to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup.”
While Bradley must now wait at least another two years to make a third appearance in the match, he left no doubt as to who he would be rooting for. He said: “I am pulling for the US team.”
The Ryder Cup takes place between 29 September and 1 October.
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