A common criticism of past U.S. Ryder Cup teams, at leasing losing ones, is that they don’t play as a team. They act as individuals, without displaying the bond and selflessness seen on the European side. But Keegan Bradley, who will captain the 2025 U.S. team in two weeks, says this year’s American squad isn’t anything like those teams.
Instead, they’ve taken the biggest American weakness and turned it on its head for this year’s Ryder Cup. And, ultimately, as Bradley contended at the Procore Championship, this could be the “difference maker” at Bethpage Black.
Bradley on U.S. Ryder Cup team: ‘Closest team I’ve ever seen’
Bradley is in Napa this week for the PGA Tour’s 2025 Procore Championship. But as will be the case at the Ryder Cup, he isn’t playing. He’s there only in his role as team captain.
Ten of the 12 American Ryder Cup players are in the Procore field, as Bradley works to finalize his pairings and, more important, get his team to bond.
But as Bradley revealed to reporters on Wednesday at the Procore, these players already are a tight-knit group.
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“Yeah, we have a wide range of rookies, veterans, Scottie Scheffler, No. 1 player in the world, but we really have a group of a great team,” Bradley said. “These guys are… they really care about one another, they treat each other with respect. It’s the closest team I’ve ever seen.”
Bradley played on the victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team last year, helping the U.S. team to a 18.5-11.5 victory over the International squad at Royal Montreal. That team featured six 2025 Ryder Cup players in addition to Bradley.
He favorably compared the “dynamic” of that successful American team with this year’s Ryder Cup group.
“Our Presidents Cup team last year was easily the best team room I’ve ever been a part of,” Bradley said. “Something that you really dream about as a kid with these team events. This group is — looks a little different on paper but it’s still the same dynamic.”
The way Bradley sees it, it’s in that way this team distinguishes itself from U.S. Ryder Cup teams in the past.
Sights and sounds from the U.S. Ryder Cup Team at Procore Championship
Ahead of the 2025 Procore Championship, see Captain Keegan Bradley interact with other U.S. Team members at Silverado Resort during Tuesday’s practice rounds.
How 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team differs from past teams
While in recent years the American and European teams have traded Ryder Cup wins, that was not always the case.
From 2002-2014, Team Europe dominated the event. They won six of seven times, with the lone American win coming in 2008 at Valhalla.
Bradley’s two appearances as a player in the Ryder Cup came at the end of that forgettable stretch: 2012 and 2014. Both were losses for the U.S. team, including on home soil at Medinah in 2012.
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While those teams, often headlined by rivals Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, were noted for a lack of togetherness, Bradley says his 2025 squad couldn’t be more different. And he would know.
“This group of players, they’re truly friends and they’re friends off the golf course, which in my teams that I played before this, I don’t know if we exactly had that as much as this group does,” Bradley said Wednesday. “They really care about one another.”
He continued: “The thing that I’ve noticed that’s most impressive is they really pull for each other and they want each other to do well. When I was playing, I wasn’t really pulling for anybody, I was wanting to beat and play my best. These guys, they’re genuinely excited for their friend that wins a tournament and that’s really great.”
The unique characteristics of this U.S. team go beyond its closeness. Bradley said his players already have shown a willingness to quiet their egos and do what’s best for the team.
“We also have a bunch of new guys and it’s been great to see the willingness for our guys to really play with anybody,” he said. “Again, I don’t necessarily feel like we’ve had that in the past teams that I’ve had. These guys, put me with anybody, or who do you want to play with, whoever you want. Willing veterans coming to us saying put us with guys that haven’t played a Ryder Cup, which is really special. It’s a big — it’s a difference maker I think in how you’re going to do it in the Ryder Cup.”
Bradley leads the American Ryder Cup team into battle at Bethpage Black beginning Friday, Sept. 26.
