ATLANTA — Keegan Bradley met with reporters rapidly, shuffling out and in of the media middle in lower than 10 minutes as a result of his busy schedule. However the primary level of debate throughout that transient time was not his current triumph on the BMW Championship. No. It principally revolved across the Presidents Cup and the way the 38-year-old Bradley would possibly make this yr’s U.S. workforce.
Captain Jim Furyk will solidify the American squad on Tuesday, making six extra picks after this week’s Tour Championship. Bradley, subsequent yr’s Ryder Cup captain, is at present eighth within the standings, however he would higher serve himself and subsequent yr’s prospects at Bethpage Black by sitting this one out.
As an alternative, he ought to function one in every of Furyk’s assistants. Furyk already tabbed Kevin Kisner, Stewart Cink, and Justin Leonard as vice-captains, however it might profit everybody if he included Bradley, too.
“I actually assume being a vice-captain would assist me as a captain at Bethpage as a result of if you’re taking part in, your mentality adjustments a bit,” Bradley mentioned Tuesday.
“[When you are playing,] you’re extra stressed. You’re considering, ‘Geez, I’ve received the alternate shot gap or the robust drive. So there’s different issues in your thoughts.”
Bradley has not performed in a Ryder Cup since 2014 and made just one Presidents Cup workforce, representing Staff USA at Muirfield Village in 2013.
A decade has handed since Bradley was a part of an American locker room. It’s not like Bradley has misplaced that feeling or the understanding of how these relationships work, however he could be higher served to help Furyk in decision-making. He would be taught to steer a workforce on this compelling competitors, one that may set him up properly for the Ryder Cup subsequent fall.
But Bradley is at present among the finest People on the planet. He arrives at East Lake ranked fourth within the FedEx Cup rankings and has an incredible probability to win the trophy and the $25 million that comes with it.
He is aware of that, too.
“Being contained in the ropes with these guys within the battle, within the warmth, reminding myself how robust that is, and if a state of affairs arises the place I’m taking part in at Bethpage, taking part in this, taking part in on the Presidents Cup will surely assist,” Bradley mentioned.
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“I’ve gone backwards and forwards, and I feel that there are execs and cons to each of them. No matter occurs, I should determine the right way to make one of the best of it.”
A situation can come up through which Bradley makes subsequent yr’s Ryder Cup workforce. He must end among the many prime six within the Ryder Cup standings as a result of he beforehand mentioned he wouldn’t choose himself as a captain’s choose. He nearly made this yr’s workforce, ending eighth within the standings. Final week’s BMW Championship finalized Staff USA, as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, and Sahith Theegala completed among the many prime six. However now Furyk has six captain’s picks to make, and Bradley is amongst his choices.
“You’ve at all times received to do not forget that these guys have been gamers, too, and Jim is a Corridor-of-Fame participant. He was explaining a state of affairs to me; I forgot which Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup it was; he was in a really related spot to me; he was a vice-captain, however he was nonetheless making an attempt to make the workforce. So he is aware of what I’m going by way of,” Bradley mentioned.
“I feel because it involves this week [at the Tour Championship], I feel with the totally different [starting-strokes] format and stuff like that, I feel it shouldn’t come down to at least one week that you simply resolve whether or not an individual goes to play a month later. However there’s a part of me that feels horrible about having put him on this place. However I need to be as upfront with him and trustworthy with him, and he’s been nice.”
As patriotic as he’s, Bradley desires to do what’s finest for the workforce. However despite the fact that he’s at present one of many PGA Tour’s prime gamers, watching this Presidents Cup from outdoors the ropes, lending his opinion to Furyk, and studying from these good minds will assist the People in the long term.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. You should definitely try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
