Michael Kim did a huge favour for Keegan Bradley and many others during the second round of the Rocket Classic on Friday.
If you take a quick glance at the Rocket Classic leaderboard after two rounds, not much stands out around halfway down.
Bradley and Kim made the cut on the number after finishing up at six-under par for the first two days’ play at Detroit Golf Club.
The Ryder Cup captain – who won last week at the Travelers Championship – has been in the headlines recently, with the genuine prospect of him becoming the first American to act as a playing captain at the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer did it in 1963.
Bryson DeChambeau suggested on Wednesday that Bradley simply has to be on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, considering his form this season.
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Kevin Kisner is another man who has urged Bradley to play at the Ryder Cup, and it’s looking more and more likely with every week that passes that he will in fact do that.
However, the eight-time PGA Tour winner was very close to experiencing what would have been a big setback at the Rocket Classic on Friday.
Michael Kim’s final hole three-putt helped out Keegan Bradley at the Rocket Classic
Kim finished his round on the par-three ninth hole at Detroit Golf Club on Friday.
The one-time PGA Tour winner hit his tee shot to around 50 feet from the pin, but proceeded to take three putts from there.
As a result of the 31-year-old dropping back from seven-under to six-under, the cut-line dropped down to that number as well.
Numerous big names got into the weekend as a result, including Bradley, Patrick Cantlay and Akshay Bhatia.
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
And Kim took to his X account after his round to share a sarcastic message after his three-putt on his final hole of the day.
He said: “If any of these players are wondering, my locker is wayyy in the back right corner. A token of appreciation for my 3 putt on the last hole to push the cut to -6 will be much appreciated. See y’all tomorrow.
“I’m not saying I did this for Captain Bradley but I’m not denying that I did see his name at -6 while I was playing my 17th hole…”
If any of these players are wondering, my locker is wayyy in the back right corner. A token of appreciation for my 3 putt on the last hole to push the cut to -6 will be much appreciated.
See y’all tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ZTmMYyISxb
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 27, 2025
View Tweet
I’m not saying I did this for Captain Bradley but I’m not denying that I did see him name at -6 while I was playing my 17th hole…
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 27, 2025
View Tweet
Kim’s post was obviously tongue in cheek, but the fact that he three-putted could end up being hugely important for Bradley and his hopes of qualifying automatically for the Ryder Cup team.
Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup hopes receive huge boost
Bradley has always maintained that he would never name himself as a captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
However, he does have a genuine chance of qualifying automatically.
The 39-year-old from Vermont currently sits in ninth place on the U.S. Ryder Cup points list, just over 2,000 points adrift of sixth placed Justin Thomas.
That equates to one win or a couple of top-5 finishes. The way that Bradley is playing, he will have no trouble qualifying for the U.S. team.
However, if he doesn’t finish inside the top six, it would be a real shock if he didn’t play in September, given the form he has shown this season.
Bradley will definitely be a key man at the Ryder Cup in his captaincy role, but could he play as well? As things stand, that’s looking very likely, and he may well have Kim to thank if he shoots a couple of rounds in the mid-60s over the weekend at the Rocket Classic and jumps higher up the qualification points list.
