KEEGAN BRADLEY has been named captain of the US’ Ryder Cup team – after Tiger Woods reprotedly passed on the chance.
He’ll be replacing previous skipper Zach Johnson, who brutally snubbed him in the cut for last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.
Bradley was chosen in favour of frontrunners Fred Couples and Davis Love III.
It comes after Woods reportedly rejected the chance to captain the US team for the first time.
US sources say that the golf legend knocked back an approach from the PGA due to being too busy.
Woods had been a hot favourite for the job since the Yanks were hammered by Luke Donald’s team in Rome last year.
But the first signs that he was not too keen on taking over in New York next September came at the USPGA Championship in March.
The 15-time Major champion said he already had a lot on his plate as one of the chief negotiators in the PGA Tour’s peace talks with LIV.
He is understood to have told the PGA that he would only be able to take on the Ryder Cup captaincy if they were willing to limit the range of duties he would be expected to perform.
But the PGA were not prepared to be dictated to – even by one of the greatest golfers of all time.
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Bradley’s captaincy represents a full-circle moment for the American after being cut from the team that played in Rome last year.
He went into that Ryder Cup off the back of an excellent 2023 but missed out on an automatic spot in the squad
But previous captain Johnson opted not to pick Bradley, and the moment was immortalised on Netflix‘s Full Swing documentary, with an emotional Bradley being told by Johnson: “Hey buddy. Thanks for being patient with me.
“There’s no easy way to say this my friend, I find it best to just go in a different direction this year. It’s nothing you did or didn’t do because you’re amazing on and off the course. I just feel like it’s best this year to go in a different direction.
“I would love to take 30 guys and I cannot. And just know that I am so grateful for you.”
Bradley handled his snub with class and said: “OK Zach, I understand. Wishing you obviously good luck and hope that you guys go over there and win it.”
The US star has not featured at the Ryder Cup since defeat to Europe at Gleneagles in 2014.
He has said that he has not opened his kit bag from that tournament since and only will if called upon by the US again.
He said: “That’s probably my lowest point in my career [losing the 2014 Ryder Cup], was that moment, and I would love to change that. When I’m done and I’m retired, having a Ryder Cup win on my resume versus a loss would be a huge difference for me.
“I just hope, someday, I get to win a Ryder Cup and open that thing and just have, like, a peace-of-mind moment, because I’m thinking about the Ryder Cup every second of every day.”
He’ll have the ultimate chance of redemption when he leads his team out at Bethpage Black in New York in 2025.
