St. John's Hall of Famer Keegan Bradley named United States Ryder Cup captain

The news of St. John's Hall of Famer Keegan Bradley being named as the 31st United States Ryder Cup captain absolutely shocked the golf world on Monday morning.

Tiger Woods declined the opportunity to lead the American squad stating he didn't have the time available in his schedule that the job requires, so the opportunity was presented to Bradley, who accepted.

It comes nearly a year after Bradley was snubbed as a captains pick to compete in the 2023 Ryder Cup by then United States captain Zach Johnson. Johnson picked Justin Thomas Jordan Speith, and Rickie Fowler, some of his closest friends, as his final selections over Bradley.

"I was crushed. It took us a while to get over that. My whole family, we were devastated," Bradley said on Tuesday afternoon at his captaincy press conference.

The tables turned this year when it was Johnson, who has been heavily criticized following the United States lopsided defeat, that called Bradley to tell him that he would be the next captain of the United States Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black.

"I feel terrible for what he's had to go through, and I feel so honored that he called."

Keegan Bradley, who will be 39 at the time of the event in September 2025, will be the youngest United States Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer, 34, in 1963. 

The 2011 PGA Champion shared that his entire St. John's golf team was in attendance at his press conference on Tuesday and told a story about how he and his teammates would play holes 3-14 at Bethpage Black when the course was closed on Monday's during his four years in Queens.

One day during his senior year, he and George Zolotas decided to cross the road and play the remainder of the course, which they were told explicitly not to, and triggered a police response for trespassing. The situation did not sit well with St. John's coach Frank Darby, who was also in attendance, but serves as one of many stories at the historic course for Keegan Bradley.

"It was a great memory," Bradley said, who was inducted into the St. John's Hall of Fame in 2020 after recording nine individual victories during his collegiate career at the school, which ranks second all-time in program history.

The Massachusetts native did not mince words when asked about potentially playing on the Ryder Cup team as a captain. Bradley said he wants to compete with the United States but will only play if he qualifies for the roster on points, which automatically takes the Top-6 players.

He said he will not select himself as a captains pick, unless other members of the team are adamant about him playing.

Bradley has played in two Ryder Cups, 2012 and 2014, with a 4-2 record in his matches despite the United States losing the event each time.

A lot more is on the plate of Keegan Bradley ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup, but he is eager to win back the trophy for the United States of America.