Things have gotten pretty interesting for the United States Ryder Cup team and its captain, Keegan Bradley, over the last week.
Bradley, for the second time in three years, won the Travelers Championship last Sunday and moved up to No. 9 in the U.S. Team Rankings and now feels like a lock to be a playing captain at Bethpage Black. To be honest, it would be disrespectful and borderline detrimental to the team if he weren’t. There aren’t 12 Americans playing better golf than that man right now. He gives the team a better chance to win with clubs in his hands, plain and simple.
Fast forward seven days, and Patrick Reed—yes, the man formerly known as Captain America—won LIV Golf’s Dallas stop in a four-way playoff for his first W on the Saudi-backed circuit.
Why does this matter? Well, if you haven’t been paying attention, Reed is putting together a pretty solid 2025.
On top of his LIV victory in Texas, the three-time Ryder Cupper finished third at the Masters in April and tied for 23rd at the U.S. Open in Pittsburgh. And if you’re thinking, “Eh, it’s not that good,” let’s compare his ‘25 resume to Bryson DeChambeau, who feels like a lock to make the team.
Since the start of April, Bryson’s posted five top-10 finishes in five LIV events, including a win, and finished T-5 (Masters), T-2 (PGA Championship), and MC (U.S. Open) at the majors. During that same span, Reed grabbed three top-10 finishes on LIV, including the win, and a similar record at the game’s biggest events—3rd, MC, and T-23, if you forgot from the last paragraph.
As for each player’s history in the Ryder Cup, Reed put together a 7-3-2 overall record in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 biennial events, and that includes a 3-0 mark in Sunday Singles. Bryson, who was part of the 2018 and 2021 teams, boasts a 2-3-1 record.
Now, if Bryson isn’t selected for this year’s team, every LIV bot and fanboy will have an aneurysm. There will be chaos in the streets. And while his ‘25 resume isn’t quite as good as the Big Golfer’s, Reed’s record at the Ryder Cup speaks for itself. There’s no question that he’s been the better player in red, white, and blue than Bryson.
Am I saying he should be a lock for the team? Absolutely not. But if you think he shouldn’t be considered, you have your head in the sand.
Of course, there’s a lot more to consider at a team event than just how well each guy is playing. Effect on the locker room, influence on the younger players, attitude on the course, all that and more should be part of the equation.
But if Captain Bradley thinks those things won’t be a problem with Reed, with how he’s playing and how he’s played for Team USA in the past, it’d be idiotic not to consider him for the 12-man squad.
Also doesn’t hurt that he finished solo 10th at the 2019 Open held at Royal Portrush, so he could make a pretty big move in the standings on his own merit in a couple weeks—he currently sits at No. 35.
In a few months, Bradley will have to put together a team of the 12 best Americans—Reed should, at the very least, be considered.
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