As Ryder Cup Nears, Captain Keegan Bradley Confronts His Toughest Question Yet

There is no stopping the new Captain America. Keegan Bradley, now ranked seventh in the world, finds himself in contention once again. The 39-year-old, now a resident of Jupiter, Florida, showed his grit once again, shooting a bogey-free four-under par 67 in the second round of the 153rd Open Championship, and moving to within five shots of clubhouse leader Brian Harman mid-way through Friday afternoon.

The performance comes four weeks after he won the Travelers Championship, a signature event on the PGA Tour. With 7881.22 points on the board, Bradley is ninth in the US Ryder Cup rankings. The top six after the BMW Championship will qualify automatically, and then it will be up to the captain to pick six others. With this being a major championship week, players can earn 1.5 points per $1,000 earned for all those making the cut.

Bradley’s performance at Royal Portrush is even more remarkable because he has missed the cut in his last five The Open Championship appearances and was rank last (79th) in the 2018 championship at Carnoustie. After a round that included an eagle and two birdies, Bradley said: “That was fun. Played really, really well. I’ve been playing so poorly here over the last few years. It feels nice to put a nice round together, two nice days together.

“I am just playing a lot better. I’ve really struggled on the slower greens over here the last handful of years, but I had a better game plan. Had to feel a longer stroke and made a lot more putts. I have also been driving the ball well, which is huge.”

“I really am proud of it being a bogey-free round. I’ve struggled here, so to be in contention, to have played the way I did today, means a lot. I never know what I’m going to get when I come over here, so this is a nice bonus.”

Bradley, who has Irish heritage with his family hailing from Cork County in the southern part, is well aware of the conundrum he faces if he falls just short of the six automatic places.

Asked by Essentially Golf if it would be easy to pick himself up if he was ranked seventh after the BMW Championship, Bradley said: “No, it certainly won’t be easy. Nothing about picking whoever it is, is going to be easy. But if I get to that position and I feel like I am going to help the team, then I will consider playing.”

“I get asked that question, and I don’t really have an answer. I want to obviously wait until the time comes to pick the players and see how I’m doing. If there is somebody who is playing great and can take my spot, I will be thrilled for that. I just want to put the best team on the course at Bethpage.”

Keegan Bradley may be carrying the burden of leadership, but he’s also carrying momentum. As he marches through Royal Portrush with renewed confidence and a clear sense of purpose, it’s becoming evident—Captain America isn’t just in the mix, he’s setting the tone. Whether or not he makes the final six, Bradley’s resurgence is already making a strong statement: he’s not done writing his Ryder Cup chapter just yet.