Keegan Bradley Makes Feelings Clear on Billionaire Heir Cum PGA Tour Pro’s Ryder Cup Snub

Money can’t buy you a ticket to Bethpage! Well, technically, you would need to pay a lot to be at the course during the 2025 Ryder Cup. But we’re not talking about the fan experience. In this case, it was Maverick McNealy who couldn’t book his place in the Team U.S. squad. Not that there was a way he could pay to play. But he had to win his spot by impressing Keegan Bradley and get a Captain’s Pick. And Bradley confirmed that McNealy only narrowly missed out on earning his way with his performance.

Captain America has announced the team. And he has been questioned multiple times about whether he had any doubts about whom he was gonna pick. Most of the reporters only wanted to know if Bradley ever felt that he deserved a place in the squad. However, during an interview with Colt Knost on the SiriusXM PGA Tour Podcast, he revealed that the team was also discussing the possibility of having McNealy on the team.

“We were pretty confident on almost all the picks. We had a few other guys that were being considered. But we were confident in these guys, and if the guys that didn’t get picked got picked, played incredibly well at the end of the season… Mav McNealy played great. That was really tough. He played well all year long. Incredible kid, incredible guy, great player, great putter.  There’s tough decisions to be made. But we were confident with this group across the board with our Vice Captains, and we went from there,” Bradley said about the composition of the team.

Keegan Bradley’s confidence in the team speaks volumes. But he certainly recognized the efforts Maverick McNealy had put in this season. Seven top-10s, including a runner-up and three third-place finishes, is a remarkable feat. So what made the Team U.S. captain overlook the billionaire heir for a spot in the squad?

Why didn’t Keegan Bradley pick Maverick McNealy for the Ryder Cup 2025?

Some of Keegan Bradley’s picks have certainly raised a lot of questions among the fans. Considering how Maverick McNealy ranked higher than some of them, it is certainly surprising that he didn’t get picked. The only fact that didn’t play in McNealy’s favor is that he hasn’t played in a Ryder Cup yet. That made picking experienced Ryder Cup players like Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay much easier. Especially since Team U.S. was already going in with 4 other rookies in Russell Henley, J.J. Spaun, Cameron Young, and Ben Griffin.

Moreover, both Morikawa and Cantlay have performed incredibly in the past. At Whistling Straits, they combined to score 7 out of the 8 possible points they could have. Not once were they teamed together, meaning all their contributions also enhanced the performance of two other players in 2021. While Rome was not the ideal venue for any American golfer to perform, coming back on home soil should give them to advantage to start dominating again. That is something Keegan Bradley can’t expect Maverick McNealy to deliver on his first appearance. Better safe than sorry.