Bradley won’t be able to attend the LIV UK event this weekend to evaluate potential picks for his 2025

Newly appointed American Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is already facing a selection headache with the inclusion of LIV Golf players in his 12-man squad.

The 38-year-old, who burst onto the PGA scene by winning the PGA Championship in 2011, has experienced a rollercoaster career and is currently ranked 21st in the world. However, he’s been given the biggest task of his career so far to lead his country into the next Ryder Cup.

However, Bradley won’t be able to attend the LIV UK event this weekend to evaluate potential picks for his 2025 Ryder Cup team as he’s teeing off at the 3M Open in Minnesota. This scheduling conflict, given Bradley’s active playing career, is set to be an ongoing challenge.

With his own participation in PGA Tour events overlapping with LIV Golf tournaments, Bradley will struggle to personally assess the form of LIV Golf contenders, which includes top-tier players like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Talor Gooch.

Despite the controversy surrounding LIV Golf, Bradley has openly stated his willingness to pick players from the breakaway tour for Team USA. At his introduction as captain, he declared: “I want the 12 best players and I don’t care where they play. We have a mission to win this tournament, I’m not worried about the LIV stuff.”

Bradley recently shared a Ryder Cup hype video on his social media, but it was noticeably missing any highlights of LIV-affiliated golfers. Among those left out was American golfer Bryson DeChambeau, the current US Open champion and already a two-time Ryder Cup champion, thanks to his clutch putts.

Bradley was dramatically left off the 2023 Ryder Cup team after being named a wildcard by previous American captain Zach Johnson. The events were heavily documented in the second season of the Netflix docuseries Full Swing.

Bradley has also named Webb Simpson as his vice-captain. “Webb is someone who I have long admired and respected as a competitor and friend,” Bradley said. “Webb will be a valuable member of our leadership team and a trusted resource for me as we prepare for Bethpage Black next September.”

Bradley was an unexpected choice for the 2025 captain gig. He was in “complete shock” by the appointment following Tiger Woods’s rejection of the offer due to “new responsibilities with the tour.” Woods is aiding in negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Despite picking LIV Golfer Brooks Koepka for the 2023 team, Johnson gave DeChambeau a miss. The American side, despite Scottie Scheffler’s impressive performance, lost to Luke Donald’s European team by 16 12 to 11 12.

The next Ryder Cup in 2025 is scheduled to take place at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York next September.