Rising from 68th to 17th in the world, Ben Griffin’s standout 2025 PGA Tour season secured him a Ryder Cup captain’s pick from Keegan Bradley — a decision that left close friend Andrew Novak off the team. Novak responded with grace, voicing support while recognizing the difficulty of Bradley’s call.

Andrew Novak mentioned on the Monday Q Info YouTube channel about Ben Griffin’s Ryder Cup selection and whether he thought he had a chance. “He absolutely earned it. He played awesome golf all year… some really solid finishes. I think he pretty much locked it up. I mean, his play really speaks for itself.”

After making an emotional comeback from desk work to the PGA Tour, Ben Griffin capped 2025 with two breakthrough victories and a season to remember. His first win, captured alongside close friend Andrew Novak, carried special meaning and set the tone for a remarkable campaign that featured 10 top-10 finishes. While Novak started the year strong but faded, Griffin kept building momentum, ultimately claiming the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. His consistency, resilience, and turnaround not only delivered career-best earnings but also secured him a well-deserved Ryder Cup captain’s pick, solidifying his status as one of the season’s standout performers.

“I think the way I played early in the season..I got myself up in the rankings pretty quickly. Um, you know, Keegan was in my ear a lot, just, you know, pushing me, trying to give me some motivation…. I think I was absolutely..in the picture for a bit there,” Novak admitted he got off to a strong start, finishing solo third at the Farmers Insurance Open and then capturing a memorable win alongside Ben Griffin at the Zurich Classic. Novak also tied for third at the Valero Texas Open and came heartbreakingly close at the RBC Heritage, losing in a playoff to Justin Thomas. 

“If I had a strong finish to the year, I think, uh, you know, I  easily could have been in Ben’s position. It could have been, you know, both of us going.” He added. However, after the Zurich Classic triumph, his momentum slowed, as a series of missed cuts and inconsistent rounds followed, preventing him from maintaining the pace that had put him in Ryder Cup contention earlier in the season.

“I… never really got the swing back dialed. I just struggled to hit the ball, um, the back half of the year like I did, uh, early season. It just wasn’t myself,” Novak added. The struggles showed up in full force at the Memorial Tournament, where he tied for 51st, which was one of his lowest finishes of the year and carried into the playoffs, tying for 48th at the BMW Championship. His drop in form was hard to miss, and it’s easy to see why Keegan Bradley would have taken note when making his crucial Ryder Cup captain’s picks.

Despite not making the team himself, Novak holds no hard feelings toward Griffin in fact, he’s genuinely thrilled for his friend. “I was texting Ben Monday morning… just making sure that he got the call up, which obviously I’m very happy about. I think he’s going to crush it out there,” Novak said. He praised Griffin’s unmatched competitive edge, especially in high-stakes settings like the Ryder Cup. “He can putt when the pressure’s on I’ve seen it,” and for Griffin himself, the moment he got picked was no less than the breakthrough moment of the year. Coming off the Tour Championship, Ben Griffin opened up about his incredible year, “Four years ago I wanted to give up the game forever..and now I’m going to give it all to help this team win at Bethpage. LFG.” After stepping away from golf in 2021 to work as a mortgage loan officer, Griffin returned to the PGA Tour in 2023 and quickly proved he still had what it takes. His comeback has been one of the sport’s most inspiring stories. 

And while Griffin’s selection was a celebratory moment, it also highlighted the weight of responsibility on Keegan Bradley’s shoulders. His decision-making reflected not just strategy, but the emotional toll of shaping a Ryder Cup roster.

A Heavy-Hearted Decision From The Captain

For Keegan Bradley, stepping aside from playing in the 2025 Ryder Cup was one of the most emotional decisions of his career. “It broke my heart not to play, but I was chosen to lead this team,” he said, reflecting on the personal sacrifice involved. All season, Bradley had considered the rare role of playing captain, with encouragement from players like Bryson DeChambeau making the idea tempting. Yet he realized that balancing playing and captaining could dilute both efforts.

“Being the best captain I could be, and then if I played, I needed to be the best player that I could be. And I was worried I couldn’t do both,” Bradley explained. Leading the team requires constant attention to pairings, strategy, and player dynamics, while playing demands focus and peak performance. With guidance from mentors like Jim Furyk and support from his vice-captains, Bradley chose to put the team first, focusing fully on leadership to give Team USA the strongest chance at victory at Bethpage Black. As the dust settles on the captain’s call, one question lingers—will this gamble on loyalty over form pay off when the stakes are highest?