“Team USA Is 90% Set”: Keegan Bradley Reveals Pairings & Plan for Bethpage

Eight-time PGA TOUR winner and 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley sits down in Napa ahead of the Procore Championship to discuss Team USA’s prep for Bethpage Black. With 10 team members on site, Bradley breaks down why foursomes is the toughest format, says pairings are “about 90% set,” explains how Scottie Scheffler leads by example, and praises Bryson DeChambeau’s “above-and-beyond” commitment. He also shares why this is the closest team he’s ever seen, what to expect from New York fans, and the powerful message he’s giving the room: “You never know when it’s your last Ryder Cup.”

Key points

Team bonding in Napa; players drove this meetup

Pairings ~90% finalized; alt-shot chemistry is critical

Scottie “built for pressure” and sets the tone

Veterans volunteering to pair with rookies

Bryson making extra effort to be with the team

Larry Nelson’s role and why honoring history matters

“We only care about our 12” — focus over noise

All right, morning everyone. We are joined here with eighttime PGA Tour winner and 2025 RDER Cup captain Keegan Bradley. Keegan, welcome here in Napa. Just want to start off. What is it like to have 10 of the team members here getting ready for competition mode and enjoying some team bonding in Napa? It’s been really, really great. Uh it’s really fun to be together as a team outside the RDER Cup because the RDER Cup is so um intense and and nerve-wracking. So, it’s fun to see the guys be able to interact a little lighter uh scene here. And um seeing the guys together is really great. Something that we, you know, we really wanted to to accomplish when we started this process. And um it’s been really fun to see the guys all together. I’m going to go ahead and open up to questions to the group. You guys have a question, raise your hand. We’ll get a microphone over to you. We’re gonna start off here with Marty. Hey Keegan, Marty James, Napa Valley Register. Welcome to Silverado. I saw you on the golf course yesterday with several of the REDRE Cup members. What exactly is the role that you’re performing this week in advance of going to Beth Paige Black? Well, I think for me, um, it’s really great to be around the guys. This is the first time that we’ve had, you know, forever we’ve had a group of, you know, 20 or 25 or so players that had a chance to make the team and now we know our 12 and it’s great to be around those guys, hear what they’re saying, and we’re really kind of finalizing pairings and figure out how to send them out. Uh, and it’s really fun for me to be the captain in front of the guys and not be playing because when I’m uh out there playing, you know, I have to still be focused on that job and practicing, getting ready to play. And now I, you know, I have one job and that’s to to prepare them and to do whatever it t whatever they need this week to help them play better. Just one followup, Keegan. Um, how great of a team is this when you assemble 12 players who are all world ranked, who are all PGA Tour champions, mass, you know, world major champions, you know, uh c can you uh talk about just the overall depth and talent of this team? Yeah, we have a a wide range of uh rookies, veterans. Scotty Sheffler, number one player in the world, but we really have a group of a great team. Um these guys are they really care about one another. They uh treat each other with respect. Uh it’s the closest team I’ve ever seen. Um we we our our President’s Cup team at last year was easily the best team I’ve ever been a part of. uh you know, something that you really dream about as a kid with with these team events. And this group is is looks a little different on paper, but it’s still the same dynamic. They 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. uh they’re they really care about one another and they 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. You when I was playing I wasn’t really pulling for anybody. I was uh wanting to beat and and play my best and these guys they’re genuinely excited for their friend that wins the tournament and that’s really great. We have Bob Herro here. Keegan, what’s um obviously this a little in the weeds, but the the last two RDER Cups, the home team has really done well at forsomes almost. If you have any thoughts on that and also just on on the the difficulty in the format itself and finding the right matchups and getting guys to play something they’re not used to. Yeah, I think I think Forsomes is obviously the tougher format to pair because you have to factor in there’s so many more factors. There’s the golf ball. Uh there’s a real you really want to match up the personalities with with forsomes because it is a way tougher format. Um and I think when you’re on the road, it’s much more comforting to have a best ball partner. So when you’re when you’re on the road, when you’re on the the road and you’re standing on that first te by yourself and that alternate shot, it’s much tougher. Um so I think that would be the reason. Um you know, it’s also it’s easier to play better at home seems like, you know, over the last 30 years. So, uh, but you know, Forsomes is we we have some history in some of the pairings, but we also have a bunch of new guys, and it’s really been great to see the willing the willingness for our guys to really play with anybody. Uh, again, I don’t necessarily feel like we’ve had that in in the past teams that I had. Um, and these guys are put me with anybody or who do you want to play with whoever you want. um you it willing veterans coming to us saying put us with guys that you know haven’t played in Ryder Cup or uh which is really really special. It’s it’s a big it’s a difference maker uh I think in in how you’re going to do in the RDER Cup right behind Bob Powell. Yeah. You mentioned the the importance of this week and have all having all the guys here. I’m curious when did it become clear to you that it was important to do this this week and then what were those conversations like trying to get the guys to all come? Well, I think it the the the players knew it was important. They they this Ryder Cup means everything to them. Um you know, we we we talk a lot, you know, behind the scenes of how much this means to us. And they are willing to do whatever it takes to be prepared. So, you know, they they this is something that we wanted. When I was named captain, this was something that I I wanted, but like they wanted it more than I did. So, this made it really easy, you know, that when the players take accountability for their team, good things happen. And uh they they really they all love golf, too. So, they they what an opportunity for them. They’re all staying together this week. Like, they they they have a great time. For me, I’m stressed out about playing. I’m practicing. They’re like another week to hang and and get a team bonding. And um things happen a lot easier when the players want to do it and they’re they’re a good group. They wanted to be here. Moving over to the left, we have Brody here and then we’re going to come to Doug. You know, now that things are settled a bit, you know, looking back to say the the dinner you guys did in Philly in May, I believe. You know, how much of the last four months has has those kind of events and things like that kind of gotten you here? And also, how did that work with say guys that maybe broke out later? know if a B or a JJ was there. Yeah, I think I think in order to create a good team and a good team atmosphere, it can’t happen week of or even the week before. So, I I really I really wanted to have it work the whole work up the whole entire year. And there were some guys not at that Philly meeting that were, you know, nowhere in the picture at the time. Um that that we’ve brought up to speed that I’ve spoken to privately. Um ultimately though, you know, when you’re when you’re together this week and you’re with all the guys this week and you know you’re on the team, that’s most important. And uh you know, it’s really been fun to see guys like Ben Griffin emerge, JJ emerge. Um guys that may not have been on our radar to start the year, but what an addition to our team. And you you’ve been on, you know, teams in the past with, you know, different kinds of stars. You were on the President’s Cup team last year. How would you describe like what the energy Scotty brings in a room as you know? To be honest with you, the more I’m around Scotty, the more I’m impressed with who he is. We all know what a generational talent player Scotty is. But when you see Scotty around our guys, around the rookies, um the willingness of him to do literally whatever it takes for us to win the RDER Cup and when your best player is doing that, you know, your rest of your team’s going to fall fall in line of what of his lead. And I think what’s most impressive about Scotty is just the person that he is. You know, we when you’re see the way he plays golf, you you’re you’re amazed. But then when you speak to him and you’re around him and you watch him from afar and you watch him with his family and you, you know, you see his interaction with the younger players and the other the caddies, you really have a I I admire him. I look up to to Scotty. I’m not afraid to to say that he he does a lot of things right. and um shows up in the golf course, shows up in the team room, and obviously he’ll be a big part of our team at Beth Page. Back over here to the right, Doug. Following on that, how much pressure um does Scotty face when he’s been that good? I mean, you had Tiger at Madina 12. Kind of a similar situation. Is it It’s a lot on him, isn’t it? Yeah, I think anytime I I was out there following Scotty in the prime today and uh I was thinking said to my coach I was like it’s what a weird thing that he probably there’s a better chance he’s going to be have a chance to win this week than not. And so he teases it up every week knowing like he’s going to go through some serious pressure, you know, no matter what. And I think that is part of the RDER Cup. It’s when you’re the best player when on their team, when you’re Rory or you’re Tiger or Phil or whoever, you carry a big burden for for your team. I think that happens with Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, you know, and they these guys are built for it. Like I think that they in a sick way, they they look forward to it. They want that pressure. Um, and not everyone wants that. Some people can say they do, but not everyone wants it. And Scotty, I think he would hope that, you know, comes down to him in singles. I I bet you he like dreams about it. And um, you know, that kind of separates who, you know, Scotty from the rest of the guys. Finally, Kagan, what what percentage do you think of your partnerships lineups do you have in your head right now? How far along are you basically? Very far along. Yeah, we’re we’re numbers for me or I mean we’re we’re 90% I’d say like we’re we one of our goals was to have the guys prepared ready to know who they’re playing with and uh especially an alternate shot. I think that that’s more important. I think best ball you can have a little more leeway there. Uh but we’re we’re pretty we’re pretty set here of what we’re going to do. Moving over to the left side, we have Alan Shipn. I’m sure you remember at the last Ryder Cup, you know, Rory all but guaranteed a European victory. Probably heard about his two questions. How much do you love? And do you think this psychological puts more pressure on him than it does you guys? To be honest with you, um, I really don’t care what they’re doing. I don’t care what what the Europe team Europe does. Um, alls I know is is that they have I think, you know, when I look at their team, I see maybe the best European Rder Cup team ever. Um, they’re really deep top to bottom. They got major champions. Rory’s playing having an historical year. Um, but I really I don’t care what Europe is doing. I I only care about our 12 guys, our Caddies, our our, you know, the wives. I I only care about what we can what we’re doing. They’re a confident group. They should be. They they they won the last RDER Cup. Their team is solid. Luke Donald is maybe the best captain ever. Um somebody that I’ve always looked up to, so they should be confident. Um but I’m not really I really don’t care what they say about us. I only care about our team. Do you enjoy the chirping though? I mean, it just adds a little extra to it. Yeah, it’s great. It’s it’s fun. I uh I think the RDER Cup brings brings out a lot of emotion in people and I think that’s great for our sport. I I love I love it. I love everything about the RDER Cup, especially it’s just the passion, you know, like Rory cares about the RDER Cup just as much as he cares about winning the Masters or winning a major, which is the way it should be. It’s awesome. Alan, you can pass it next to Adam, but while we’re getting the microphone over there, we have Nick here in the front. Very right. Keegan, almost along those lines, and I imagine you’ve thought a lot about this. Why is the writer Cup important to you? I think as a as a kid in sports, you always are craving that team atmosphere and with golf, we don’t get that ever. And when you’re playing for your country in any sport, it heightens all of that. And I think for us, we we really only get one time a year to do this. And when you’re a part of it, it really it changes you forever. It really does. It changes you the way you prepare. It changes the way you know you set your goals for the year for your career. Uh and in golf, you’re so alone all the time in this process. And then when you’re in a team room or you’re, you know, even just having dinner last night and you’re looking around at the guys and you and they’re all in this together and you’re looking at guys from JJ Spawn to Ben Griffin to Scotty Sheffler and like all of a sudden we’re all on the same team here and it’s really it’s really such a special feeling to be a part of because it’s so rare and you know what I been telling the team as well is you never know when your last Ryder Cup is. my last RDER Cup I was the deciding point for Jamie Donaldson and I certainly didn’t think that was my last shot in a Ryder Cup. So, you know, you you really want to enjoy every second of these because it’s you never know when it’s done. When you’ve said that to them, how have they responded to that message? They they get it because we’ve got you know, you know, I I at some point this is going to end for all of us. It’s going to end for Scotty. It’s you know, I tell them it’s it’s ended for Jack Nicholas. like guys like that, the best player, you know, one of the, you know, Mount Rushmore players in the ever. And like you have to enjoy these moments because, you know, you never know when it’s done. You never know when it’s your last dinner like last night. You never know when it’s your last time hanging in the team room with the guys. So, you have to cherish every second. Moving over here to the left to Adam, but then we can go Bob and Rex. at the end of a full swing show this year. There was video you talking about how the view is still going to win. But the part I wanted to get your opinion on it is when you talk about how people underestimated you all your life they’re going to downshift. Where does that come from? Why do you feel that way? Um well I think we can all agree that me being the captain was a definitely a shock to everybody. So, uh, I I figured, you know, you know, I didn’t have the experience Luke had. And, um, I just think growing up where I grew up in New England, you don’t really become PJ tour players. And I actually had people my whole life, like adults, tell me that I wasn’t going to be able to do this, which I think back now has been pretty weird. But I just always sort of felt like, you know, I wasn’t recruited for college at all. um you know, I didn’t no one ever thought I could be out here. So, I always kind of had to have a mentality of like us against them or I I they don’t think I can do this or um so I’ve always sort of had that mentality and I don’t know carry it over my cabiny as well. It looks like uh you’re a believer in the pot system like is that accurate and why did you decide that’s the way to go? Um, I don’t necessarily think we’re I’ I’ve the pod system is something that I’ve done, but I I have leaned on Paul Zinger. I text him all the time, talk to him all the time. I think uh he you know, when you when you talk to the players, you look back, a lot of guys will say he was just a, you know, phenomenal captain, one of the best ever. So, I I really lean on stuff that he did, uh, you know, week of stuff, stuff he says to the guys, his mentality, his mindset for the week. Um, I just really love Paul Ezinger as well. I think he embodies the RDER Cup and the energy that that the US team needs. your own little spin on Yeah, I think like what for me I’ve taken I you you look back on your captaincies or your playing days and you you think about what you loved about the captains and what you maybe didn’t like. Take those take out the stuff you didn’t like. Take the stuff you like. Talk to the captains that were really successful. And you know, Paul Azinger is was very successful at what he did and sort of was a pioneer in the way he did things. And I think that um any resource like that can be helpful. Moving back over here to the right, we have Bob. Let’s get over to Rexen. Keegan, I wanted to follow on that a little bit. Your two times as a player. What did you learn from that that you’re using? And maybe what are you discarding? like what didn’t you like that that you felt like hey I’m not I’m I’m not going to go down that road. Yeah, I feel like I’ve had incredible captains and President’s Cup and Ryder Cup and you know I have a much different perspective now as the captain looking looking at what we did during the week, what we didn’t do. Um and you know I think I think it’s important I keep trying to remind myself as well that I was chosen to do this job to do it maybe a little differently as well. So, um, you know, me being the captain isn’t really the status quo of what the US side has done. So, I I have to I remind myself and the vice captains all the time that like we were we were picked to do this job because we we wanted a little shift in what we were doing. And I think I think like little things the captains have said to me, you know, as a player, uh, stuff that maybe I didn’t love, I I avoid saying. Um, I’m not going to sit here and and, you know, call out captains of what I didn’t like cuz they were all great. But, uh, I think you got to use your experience. You got to use the the the minds of the older players that played. Um, I mean, we also have Jim Furick, who I found out yesterday has play has been a part of 14 straight RDER Cups since 1997. So, he’s seen everything and 24 total team events he’s been a part of. So, he’s got an incredible perspective, a person that I lean on a lot. Um, and that quite frankly like we need his advice and what he’s thinking. We have Rex in the very far right back. Ke, you said you’re about 90% sure at least on your pairings going into Friday. So, would this week be more just about getting the team together from a personality standpoint more so than maybe a format or a pairing standpoint? Yeah, I think anytime the more times we’re together, the better. So we we have a big chunk of our team in Jupiter uh as well and they’re we’re we’re all together a lot. Uh these guys are they know each other so well too, but I think it’s really important for us all to be together with the caddies, you know, with the the the team the the group that’s going to be on the course at Beth Page. And the more you’re together, the more the rookies are around Scotty and the and JT and Patrick, the guys that you know are veterans, the better, the more comfortable they feel. Uh, and I think I think this setting is great because it’s it’s outside the bubble of the RDER Cup where the stress is high and we’re able to see the guys sort of, you know, relax and and talk to each other and um I think it’s it’s really important. I I I wish selfishly wish when I played these teams I had this week because it’s it’s really a fun time to be all beat together. Moving over the last side, we have Steph team. Do you think players have an innate sense of respect for the captain or do you feel like you had to earn it? Oh, I definitely they have the respect, but you have to earn the respect of the of the players for sure. Uh especially I think, you know, normally you’re you’re looking at your captain, he’s a Hall of Famer. He’s a guy we all grew up idolizing, you know, almost every time. So I think you know for me I had to really prove to the guys that you know this was something that I could handle and um you know I think in the game in our sport and any sport any job any thing in life when you have the respect of your peers it’s really the greatest thing you can have. So I have to earn that respect every day with the with the players. I have to going to have to earn it today when I’m out there. I’ have to earn it Ryder Cup week. Um, and that’s something that I don’t take lightly. We have time for just a few more. We have Andrew here. Um, Keegan, you’ve talked a lot about the camaraderie, making sure that everybody is together as often as possible. Do you get a sense of what this week is like for Bryson since he obviously isn’t going to be competing? Yeah, I mean, in the golf world right now, we’re in we’re in an awkward spot with with some of, you know, where we sit in the golf world. And you know, a lot of that responsibility has fallen on Bryson to he’s has to make a much bigger effort than a lot of the guys. And Bryson was there last night. Uh he’s been incredible. He’s been more than willing to go above and beyond for this team. And you know, I think it’s a testament to what a good teammate Bryson is. And I think I think it’s actually really cool to to see for the guys to see. It’s it’s easy for the guys to come play here and come to dinner. Bryson’s got to get on a plane. He’s got to come to these meetings. And I think it’s a it’s a great thing. It shows the the commitment that Bryson has for the team. And um he’s going to be a huge asset for us. And obviously from the standpoint of how good of a player he is, but he’s also fun to be around. He’s um you know, great to the younger guys and it’s fun for us to see Bryson in a in a atmosphere outside the golf course as well. We have time for just two more. We’re going to go Jack, then we’ll finish up with Doug. Yeah, obviously it’s a great opportunity to keep the games fresh and and get everybody together, but how much or has there been any conversation around this is a great opportunity for the fans as well in the West Coast who won’t be able to make it to New York to see the team play and see the best players in action? Yeah, I think uh I mean how incredible that Scotty Sheffller’s playing in Napa this week. It’s really really great. Uh Justin Thomas, Patrick Kentley, I mean our whole team. Um what a great thing for the tour. forward a great thing for the area. Uh and you know, who knows going forward, this could be, you know, part of something that we do every year if it works out. Uh and the the Procore and the tournament have been really really great to us. They’ve we we’ve had we had a few asks that we needed to get the players together, the pairings, and they’ve been they’ve been really great. Um you know, we we we probably couldn’t we couldn’t come here if we didn’t couldn’t run it like we wanted to with the team. So, um, they’ve been really, really great to us and, um, we’re lucky to have the tournament to help us do well at RDER Cup. And Doug, we’ll finish this off. Two things. If someone um, who just didn’t know much about the area were to ask you, uh, how is a New York fan different from other fans in the US, what would you tell them? I would say that New York fans are extremely passionate. I think that multiplies when you’re wearing your country’s flag on your chest. And I think that multiplies even more when you’re playing on their course at Beth Page. I think, you know, if you talk to a New Yorker, you know, they they have all these prestigious clubs like Shinak and Wingfoot. You ask a New Yorker what their courses, they’ll all say Beth Page Black. Um, we’ve been working there’s a there’s a group of players called the Nassau Players Club that they only play Beth Page. They won’t play any other course. And you you talk to them what what Beth Page means to them. It’s not only the golf course, but it’s their dad taught them to play there. Then their grandfather taught them to play there. They cattied there. So, it’s much more than a golf course to a lot of these people. And when you add all those things up, you’re going to get fiery fans. Secondly, thanks for that. Um, bringing Larry Nelson into the fold, I just wanted to ask you how much it it meant to you personally, not so much the RDER Cup, but the connection through his his service with your uncle Ricky. I think that Larry Nelson is one of the best human beings I’ve ever met in my life. And at the PJ, I I sort of had this idea from the start. Um, and then he came to the champions dinner at the PJ uh championship and hearing the stories from him and Lanny Watkins and hearing about these old Rder Cups and just just knowing about his service to the country and his incredible RDER Cup record. And then to top it off of like what a per amazing human being he is, it’s more of an asset for us to have him around like to have him around our guys to have him talk about what the Ryder Cup means to him. Tell stories of when he you know played he he he in his RDER Cup where he beat Sevy four times. This is what what an unbelievable it’s it’s like up there with winning a major. Nobody’s ever done beatating Sevy in Ryder Cup four times. So, it’s really it’s really more of an honor for us to have him. You know, it’s it’s sometimes I feel silly in this role of like inviting Larry Nelson to do this when he’s, you know, just this amazing golfer, but even better person, even bigger role in our RDER Cup uh um history. And it’s really fun for us to see the guys around him and to have his him there and have his knowledge and just his presence. He’s he’s a he’s a guy that we all look up to and really look forward to bringing him in at Beth Page. Do you feel a connection at all with his with his service in your own? Definitely. And it’s really it’s when you talk to Larry Nelson about this stuff, he’s really he’s such a humble guy and you want you want more stories. But I really feel I really feel I really feel it’s our duty to you know honor people like him. Um honor uh you know great Americans on our Rder Cup team and you know when you have a guy that’s alone is one of the best Ryder Cup players ever. But then you factor in his service in Vietnam and and what he’s done for our country it’s it’s really stunning. It’s really like an unbelievable story. He it’s I also feel it’s so silly how I can be Rder Cup captain and he can’t he wasn’t. Um he he would never say that. Um I just I felt like it was our duty to honor him and what he’s done for us. Perfect. Can you give a little color how you ask him? Um, we so we at He lives in Atlanta and we were having our dinner in Atlanta with the team and we brought him he came in to do some interviews with the PJ of America which I think was a little bit of a setup for us to all the vice captains we came in and surprised him and told him you know we we it’s all going to be we we have some film of it and um I was really nervous because I wanted to honor him the way he should be and so we we sort of surprised him at at Atlanta and um he he generously accepted and uh it was a really great day. Perfect. That’s all the questions we have. Kean, we appreciate the time.