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Team USA Ryder Cup captain could win the FedEx Cup, but his mind is elsewhere for now.
Keegan Bradley is very much within striking distance at the Tour Championship, where a$$10 million payday is on the line. His mind, however, might be elsewhere.
Bradley was set to start the final round at East Lake Golf Club three shots out of the lead after a marvelous third-round 63, but the Team USA Ryder Cup captain admitted his tank is running on empty as he’s largely been preoccupied with the Ryder Cup a month away.
Ryder Cup Responsibilities Taking Toll on Keegan Bradley
Asked how he was able to play so well with everything else going on around him, Bradley admitted not even he’s sure how he’s been able to do it.
“I have no idea. I was so tired Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,” he told reporters after his third-round performance. “I was just really truthfully trying to get through this week.”
Bradley is in a wildly unique situation. No player in recent memory has ever been named Ryder Cup captain while still playing at such a high level. Bradley has had one of the best seasons in his lengthy career, which is why he’s trying to balance building a roster and winning the FedEx Cup.
Just this week, the Vermont native has been here, there and everywhere.
“Yeah (I practiced) way less (this week),” he said. “I was at Bethpage all day Monday, and I didn’t get here until 9 (p.m.). played a quick nine, didn’t really do much, and I had a dinner Tuesday night for the team.
And then Wednesday, I had the breakfast for the tournament and played nine holes and went to my room. I didn’t really get the preparation that I thought I needed.”
It’s easy to see why Rory McIlroy was so insistent that a Ryder Cup captain couldn’t balance playing with the responsibilities of being captain.
That lack of prep might have been evident in the first round where, despite a 3-under 32 on the front nine, Bradley struggled to get in the door on the way in, shooting even-par 70 for the day. He followed that up with a 64 and 63, though.
Will Keegan Bradley Select Himself for Team USA?
Bradley isn’t just playing for the $10 million and the FedEx Cup trophy this week. He’s still trying to make his final case to be a playing captain at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black at the end of September. In an interview with Golf Channel, Bradley admitted the contemplation about picking himself was the hardest decision of his life, and he elaborated more after his third round.
“Well, it’s difficult because I want to put the team in the best position to win the Ryder Cup. So there’s sort of an unknown of — Arnold Palmer did it in 1963, but it’s a totally different tournament now,” Bradley explained to reporters. “It’s just a heavy decision. All the picks are tough. Captain is going to be judged on who they pick. Pretty strange thing to pick yourself.
“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I just want to make sure we make the right one.”
At this point, just about everyone has shared their opinion on just what Bradley should do with himself and the roster. One thing that’s true: It’s extremely high drama.
“Even acknowledging the inherent risks and potential criticism, this opportunity is simply too compelling to pass up,” Golf Digest’s Joel Beall wrote in early August. “The chance for sport immortality rarely presents itself so clearly.”
Bradley won’t tip his hand about his decisions, but one thing is clear for the 39-year-old.
“I want it over with either way,” he said.
Mike Cole Mike Cole covers golf as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans for Heavy.com. He previously worked at NESN where he covered Boston sports (and much more) for 15 years. More about Mike Cole
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