We are now less than three months away from the Ryder Cup and less than two months from the United States roster being finalized, which will happen directly after the season-ending Tour Championship.
The intrigue as to who those 12 players will be is becoming more, well, intriguing with each event, as we’ve seen winners on two different tours over the past two weeks whose inclusion (or exclusion) will be as polarizing as anybody.
Let’s take a look at all of the candidates for U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, with their current rank in the points standings in parentheses.
In It To Win It
Scottie Scheffler (1)
Xander Schauffele (2)
J.J. Spaun (3)
Bryson DeChambeau (5)
We’re talking about absolute, no-doubt-about-it, dead-solid locks here, so even though there are a few names who are somewhere in the 95% to 99% range, these are the players who are on the team, unless somehow derailed by illness or injury. Scheffler was always in, obviously, but cementing his spot mathematically after the year’s second major is pretty impressive stuff. Schauffele hasn’t been his best since returning from his early-season rib injury, but he’s shown plenty of signs and because of that absence, should have more fuel in the tank in late-September than others in this event.
Spaun is this year’s Brian Harman – a guy who was in the conversation, but on the outside looking in, until he won a major and made that leap. DeChambeau has nothing left to prove and will be an absolute weapon at a big ballpark such as Bethpage Black.
Almost There
Russell Henley (4)
Justin Thomas (6)
Collin Morikawa (7)
Ben Griffin (8)
Henley will likely automatically qualify, but even if he gets leapfrogged by three others over the next couple of months, Bradley has publicly sung his praise for a player who should set up well in alternate shot and could pair with Scheffler again. Thomas has been extremely hit-or-miss this season, with a win and three runner-up finishes, but a T-36 and two MCs at the majors; even so, it’s tough to imagine the team leader won’t be on this squad and very involved.
Morikawa is fresh off his first top-10 since March, and perhaps the best thing about it was that he spent the first two days in a group with Bradley, showing the captain that his game isn’t as far off as the previous results might make it seem. Griffin’s heater has turned into a full-blown streak, as he’s likely done too much to be ignored, while his increased driving distance could help his profile as a course fit.
The X-Factor
Keegan Bradley (9)
You don’t have to read between the lines to understand that Captain Keegan wants the 12 best players on his roster, and if Bradley happens to be one of them, then he’ll play. It might seem like a major distraction from the outside, but with a cadre of assistants – Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson – it’s fair to believe they’ll take care of any heavy lifting while he plays one match each day.
Oh, and not to be overstated, but a fired-up Keegan in his favorite event on his favorite course while playing to help his own captaincy just might steamroll some European teams. It’ll be extremely awkward if he winds up outside the top-six and has to pick himself, however, it’s for the greater good of the team, and it’s hard to imagine anyone – whether inside the team room or outside of it – having any issue with Bradley teeing it up.
Definitely Maybe
Harris English (10)
Maverick McNealy (11)
Brian Harman (12)
Patrick Cantlay (14)
Sam Burns (15)
Cameron Young (16)
Daniel Berger (18)
Tony Finau (19)
Jordan Spieth (25)
Some on this list can make better cases than others, obviously, and it would make some sense that Cantlay would be the first name in, if the season ended today. The truth is, though, he might be the most polarizing potential selection on the board right now. If you want him on the team, there are plenty of reasons to have him – from his elite-level talent to his team competition experience. If you don’t want him on the team, though, there are also reasons – his season-long inconsistency (especially at the big events) and the hat controversy of two years ago, among them.
Burns is a solid fit who wouldn’t rock the boat and has played better lately. Young probably hasn’t done enough and though he’d match up well with Bethpage, isn’t the rah-rah kind of passionate guy that Bradley might want on the team. Berger was tracking in the right direction for a long time, but he’s stuck in neutral right now. English is intriguing, as he’s played well on the big ballparks this year.
McNealy owns some serious firepower for the four-ball format, though he’s been inconsistent. And then there’s Spieth, a stalwart of these teams who keeps showing signs of playing better, only to take a step backward, the latest being a WD from the Travelers Championship with a neck injury. He might need a win and/or a few other top-five results to make a serious run at this roster.
The Other X-Factor
Patrick Reed (35)
As if juggling the role of captain while serving as a full-time player wasn’t difficult enough, Bradley also must look outside the PGA Tour for potential selections. Reed finished third at the Masters and T-23 at the U.S. Open before winning LIV Dallas this past weekend. The man formerly dubbed Captain America while playing on every Ryder/Presidents Cup team from 2014 through 2019 often thrived in this capacity, but it’s been a long time. How will Bradley rate his performance on LIV?
Will playing that circuit be held against him? Does his past success still hold some weight in the eyes of the captain? It all makes for a fascinating conversation right now. More than just about anyone, Reed could use a big week at Royal Portrush during The Open, but even if that doesn’t happen, he’s certainly propelled himself into the conversation.
It’s Getting Late Early
Andrew Novak (13)
Tom Hoge (17)
Lucas Glover (20)
Denny McCarthy (21)
Wyndham Clark (22)
Akshay Bhatia (23)
Brooks Koepka (67)
Look, there’s still plenty of time, so as bleak as it might seem for some of these guys, a late push can make a world of difference. Case in point: Let’s say Clark or Bhatia wins the first two FedEx Cup playoff events. You’d better believe Bradley will go with the hot hand – which in turn means one less spot for all the players mentioned above. Koepka’s ship has likely sailed, coming off a poor performance on LIV this week that culminated in a WD, but he’s been known to pull off some magical things when we least expect it, so a push at The Open isn’t out of the question, as he’s an obvious course fit at Bethpage if/when he’s showing any form.
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