Melton: Agree with what SZ said above. Tiger was always Plan A, and when he turned down the position, the pickings were slim. It was the perfect storm for an unorthodox hire.
In his introductory press conference, Bradley said he “didn’t have one conversation with anybody about this until I was told I was the captain.” Were you surprised by that? What can we take away from that comment?
Colgan: Uhh, yeah, you should probably interview for the most important job in American golf before you’re hired. But there’s not much Keegan would say about the Ryder Cup behind closed doors that he hasn’t already said publicly. I imagine that helped the U.S. side feel some comfort.
1 ominous truth about Keegan Bradley as Ryder Cup captain
Zak: I was stunned by that admission. 1. That it was genuine. We love a Ryder Cup captain — a role that requires a lot of answering questions — who isn’t afraid to tell the truth. 2. I think it shows just how little connection the younger generation of American golfers (read: JT, Spieth, et all) have with the generation that preceded them (read: Cink, Kuchar, et al). Thomas said all he wants is a captain the team would be excited to play for. That he couldn’t see that in the Cink and Kuchar types tells you players of his generation want a bit more than just a longtime Tour pro with a bit of success.
Melton: That was very shocking and a bit concerning. You would hope he would’ve gone through an interview process before getting the nod. Let’s hope the lack of a vetting process doesn’t come back to bite the Americans.
Bradley wasn’t that far from making the team last year, and at 19th in the World Ranking it wouldn’t be surprising if he qualified via points (he said he would not use a captain’s pick on himself). Since Bradley is still competitive, though, it’s more likely than previous Ryder Cups that the captain could actually play as well. But could that situation hinder the team? Or would Bradley either not play or simply give up the captaincy to an assistant?
Colgan: I think Bradley would serve his country well by either being captain or playing in the Cup, not both. How funny would it be if, after all this hubbub, he made the team and handed the captainship off to Tiger Woods?
Zak: Would love that result, James. Imagine Tiger would, too. Like I wrote above, I do envision things getting weird next year at some point. Bradley winning in the spring or early summer months is not a wild idea, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that would give him a ton of points and make the team-building situation a bit awkward.
Melton: A first-time captain also playing in the event doesn’t seem like a recipe for success, but stranger things have happened. I don’t expect Keegan to make the team, though, so this scenario should remain a hypothetical.
It’s no secret the job was Tiger Woods’ if he wanted it, but Woods decided he couldn’t fully commit to the position while also managing his other obligations. When do you expect Woods to take his turn?
Colgan: I think Adare Manor in ‘27 is a very likely spot for Tiger. Captaining the Ryder Cup at the site of good friend JP McManus’ magnum opus would be good optics for Woods, and leading the U.S. into its attempt for the first win on European soil in four decades would be … epic.
Why Tiger Woods turned down the U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy
Zak: Yes, Ireland in ‘27 makes good sense. He was playing captain in an important road victory in the Presidents Cup. We know he enjoys the idea of tactical missions. Winning a road Cup would be among the best stamps he could make on an average Ryder Cup career.
Melton: Agreed it would be epic, but I’d hate to see Tiger’s captaincy end in another U.S. loss on European soil. I’d much prefer him to wait until 2029 so he can lead an American triumph on home turf.
Next up, the final men’s major of the year, the Open Championship at Royal Troon. It’s the 10th time Troon has hosted an Open, with the most recent playing back in 2016 when Henrik Stenson outdueled Phil Mickelson. Is Rory McIlroy’s first major coming off his U.S. Open heartbreak the biggest storyline of the week? If not, what is?
Colgan: There’s no bigger story in the sport right now than Rory’s return, but here are two others that have piqued my interest: Bryson’s push for the best major season of his life, and Scottie Scheffler’s attempt to close out a historic season with his first major win away from Augusta. It’s a good week to have a good week.
Zak: I love the last major of the year. And not just because I’m a part-time Scot. But mostly because there have been three different major winners this year, which means each of them gets the chance to be the double-major winner of 2024. It’s been six years since we had a single player win two majors in the men’s game, and we’ve got a great crop of contenders between Scottie, Xander and Bryson.
Melton: My colleagues have done a great job outlining the main storylines above, so I’ll go in a different direction. I’ll be interested to see the form of Jon Rahm. His first season on LIV has seen the Spaniard have a disappointing major season thus far. But all of that would be forgotten with a win at Royal Troon.
Three players have already won majors this year: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau. Without a win at Troon, which pro might walk away from the 2024 major season the most disappointed?
Colgan: Obviously Rory is the clear answer, but how about Collin Morikawa, whose game has been probably second-best in the world over the last 6 months, and who has only a handful of top-5s to show for it?
