Who will Keegan Bradley pick for Team U.S. in the 2025 Ryder Cup? The squad is running thin on options. There are a few favorites to make the squad, like Scottie Scheffler & Bryson DeChambeau. But the world #1 has already automatically qualified for the team, and DeChambeau’s place is also largely secured. But when it comes to deciding who makes the cut for the final 12, Bradley will still have a lot of tough decisions to take. Former captain Davis Love III has tried to make his job easier by recommending one player who he thinks should definitely be at Bethpage.

The 2-time Ryder Cup Team U.S. captain joined the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, sharing his opinion on the team. Speaking from his experience as the captain, Love explained how they don’t usually just look at the top 12-15 players on the Ryder Cup leaderboard as possible candidates for the squad. “As the captain or the assistant captain, we go a lot further down the list than people think. Because we’re not really picking who’s the hottest player,” he said, suggesting that it’s not only based on the player’s form, whether he gets picked or not.

However, in certain situations, that does come into play. “One year, when Rickie Fowler was on a roll and putting great. I think, 2010. And he was like… No matter what, that guy is playing. He’s making a top of putts.” Rickie Fowler was picked for the 2010 Ryder Cup team. He ended up justifying his pick by losing one and drawing 2 matches that he played in, earning 1 point for Team U.S. to lose at Celtic Manor Resort.

Love shared another example of how Scottie Scheffler also broke through the ranks in 2020 and caught everyone’s attention back then. The world #1 has been an irreplaceable part of the team since the 2021 Ryder Cup and has dominated the tournament every opportunity he has received. “There are some guys you pick because they are hot. But generally, you’re picking four pairings,” said the veteran golfer as he advised the Team U.S. captain to focus on the team events. The fourball and foursome events carry the majority of the points throughout the Ryder Cup, and having 4 clinical pairings to play in those matches is a vital part of the strategy.

Love added, “That’s why you look at a guy like Keegan Bradley. If I’m thinking Keegan Bradley, I don’t think how he’s playing, because I know that. I think, who do I put him with? And then you got some interesting guys like J.J. Spaun and Russell Henley. Who do they play with? What do I do? I got (Xander) Schauffele way up there, but I got (Patrick) Cantlay way down there (on the leaderboard).” The dilemma of picking the right dynamic of players is one of the biggest puzzles Bradley will have to solve. Whether he himself is a part of the playing team or not, he will have to determine who plays best with the players who have automatically qualified for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Patrick Cantlay is a methodical short-game expert who will play extremely well with a power hitter like Bryson DeChambeau. Pairing those two together can prove to be advantageous for Team U.S. as they can get vital points in foursome contests. But when it comes to fourball rounds, DeChambeau will be better suited to team up with Scottie Scheffler. They can match each other’s pace and can push themselves to perform better than their opponents. For a team that is struggling to find a definitive 12-man squad, Bradley will have to think of taking such a strategic approach to get an advantage against the versatile European squad.

Davis Love III also gave a shoutout to Lucas Glover and Wyndham Clark for being considered by Captain America. But the former Team U.S. captain reiterated, “I’m watching Cantlay like a hawk,” suggesting that he believes Bradley should certainly have the 8-time PGA Tour champion in the team.

Interestingly, Patrick Cantlay holds an impressive record in the Ryder Cup. Let’s see what he has achieved against Team Europe so far.

Patrick Cantlay’s impressive run against the Europeans

Despite joining the PGA Tour in 2014, Patrick Cantlay has only received the opportunity to represent Team U.S. in the Ryder Cup twice in his career. He did so in the 2021 and 2023 editions of the prestigious event. Even though his time in the tournament has been short, it has certainly been quite impactful. He holds a record of 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. In his first appearance in the tournament, Cantlay was undefeated and lost only half a point with a draw in the fourball contest. In 2023, the 33-year-old got 2 wins and suffered 2 losses, but was still the 2nd highest scorer for the team.

Apart from his contribution to the course, Cantlay was also involved in pushing the narrative behind Ryder Cup participants getting paid. The entire HatGate episode that saw the PGA Tour pro not wearing a cap during play to silently protest the lack of compensation for participation caught a lot of attention. Although Patrick did admit that he should never have done that, in the following months. His efforts did end up yielding a fruitful result as the PGA of America did agree to pay a $500,000 stipend to its players playing in the tournament. Despite the heavy protest from the fans, insiders favored the decision, and Patrick Cantlay’s efforts were well-rewarded in the end. It’s only right for him to enjoy the benefits of it in 2025.