'It's going to be pretty wild': U.S. Team Captain Keegan Bradley wraps up strong season with looming Ryder Cup decision
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Keegan Bradley ends strong week with birdie at TOUR Championship
Written by Sean Martin
ATLANTA – Keegan Bradley’s called this his “favorite season.” Now that it’s over, it is time for him to make the decision that he has called the toughest of his life.
The Ryder Cup captain has two days to decide the half-dozen players who will round out his U.S. Team that will play next month at Bethpage Black. Whether Bradley will be one of those names is the biggest question.
He entered the TOUR Championship’s final round with an opportunity to claim the FedExCup. Despite limited practice this week because of his captain’s duties, Bradley charged into contention by shooting 64-63 in the tournament’s middle two rounds. He started Sunday in fourth place, just three off the lead.
Bradley shot 70 on Sunday, his chances undone by a tee shot into the water on the island 15th. He finished T7 at 13-under 267, five shots behind winner Tommy Fleetwood.
Collin Morikawa on possibility of Keegan Bradley as Ryder Cup playing captain
“I was just dead tired today,” he said. “I've never felt like that on the golf course before. I was just exhausted.”
The final decision about his Ryder Cup fate has yet to be determined. Conversations with vice captains Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland were going to commence after he left East Lake on Sunday evening. The first priority, he said, was giving his team the best opportunity to win the Ryder Cup.
“It's going to be pretty wild,” he said. “Whatever decision we make, we're going to have to live with it.”
Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau were the six players who automatically qualified for the team last week. The candidates for captain’s picks include veterans like Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Bradley and Patrick Cantlay, as well as potential newcomers like Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Chris Gotterup and Maverick McNealy.
“I know whatever decision he makes is going to be one that he thinks is best for the team,” said Burns, who finished T7 at the TOUR Championship. Cantlay was the highest finisher among the likely candidates, finishing T2 at East Lake. Cameron Young finished fourth.
“At the end of the day, he's going to do what's best for the team,” said Morikawa, who finished T19, “and we're going to see how that plays out.”
