After the initial shock — experienced by Keegan Bradley himself — wore off, the decision to appoint the six-time PGA Tour winner as the United States Ryder Cup captain for 2025 was met with widespread enthusiasm by the golf world.
One notable exception? Rory McIlroy, who reacted to the announcement with “disbelief.”
Like fellow Team Europe star Jon Rahm, McIlroy expected Tiger Woods to captain Team USA for the 2025 competition at Bethpage Black. McIlroy was at dinner Sunday with Team Europe captain Luke Donald when he was informed that Tiger will not participate.
Instead, the PGA of America tapped the 38-year-old Bradley — still an active threat on the PGA Tour — who will become the youngest Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Bradley, who has never hid his passion for the event, was controversially denied a spot on the 2023 team in favor of Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who enjoy close friendships with ex-captain Zach Johnson. Johnson called Bradley to inform him of his captaincy.
“Definitely I think a surprise for everyone,” McIlroy said after his opening round 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club. “I think Keegan was probably in disbelief, at some point, too. Certainly it’s an interesting pick.”
Bradley, who has two wins since 2022, is currently ranked 24th in the 2025 Ryder Cup standings and 19th in the world. McIlroy cast doubt on whether Bradley could compete and captain — noting his own reservations about serving double-duty at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027.
“I've contemplated it for Adare and there's too much work that goes into it. I've seen what Luke went through preparing for Rome. There's no way you can be as good a captain as you need to be and be playing as well. It's been mentioned, and I've just said, ‘No way.'
“If you want to be the best captain you can be, you can't play. And if you want to be the best player you can be, you can't captain. It's one or the other. Especially with how big the Ryder Cup has become and how many things you have to do in the lead-up to the event, the week of the event.”
The United States typically promotes a vice-captain. McIlroy — a veteran of eight Ruer Cups — pondered if Team Europe's shellacking of Team USA in Rome last September spurred the breaking of tradition.
“It’s certainly a departure from what the U.S. have done over the last few years, and, you know, time will tell if that’s a good thing or not.”
“It's obviously an unbelievable opportunity for Keegan and just speaking from a European point of view, it's really nice to have the continuity we've had over the years, with vice captains becoming captains … I think it's been a good thing for us.”
McIlroy said the decision “seems quite reactionary to what happened in Rome.”
The United States has won three of the past four Ryder Cups on home soil. Bradley, whose heroics in 2012 helped power Team USA to a victory at Medinah, hails from the Northeast and attended St. John's, nearby Bethpage Black on Long Island.
“It's an interesting appointment,” McIlroy said. “The youngest captain since Arnold Palmer… But he knows Bethpage very well. He went to university in the area. He's obviously very passionate about the Ryder Cup.”
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