If one is good, five Better – As the saying goes.
On Wednesday morning, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley appointed Gary Woodland’s fifth and final vice captain, a leadership team that has been under scrutiny in recent weeks as the likelihood of Bradley’s players has increased.
Bethpage will debut in the Ryder Cup in any way. Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, played in just one U.S. team during his career, the winning 2019 Presidents Cup season. Still, his team sports experience as a former college basketball player is a general resume, one of the most likable tour-choice professionals in golf, which gives him a relaxed authoritative voice inside the American team.
“I’m going to Gary and everything he’s done in this game and everything he’s done,” Bradley said in announcing Woodland’s captain. “As a major champion, someone who still competes at a high level, he’s well aware of the requirements for performing at the biggest stage of golf. He will be a valuable leader in Bethpage Black in the coming months and in the 2025 Ryder Cup.”
Woodland will be the assistant captain of the U.S. lineup along with Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker – a role that has been a ritual for a large part in the past few years, but can play a great role in this year’s Cup. Bradley, 39, faces a new call, captaining this year’s Ryder Cup team with an emotional victory at the Travelers Championship.
Bradley avoided the direct answer and asked him to play in the game, and he didn’t make the final decision until the end of the summer. If he promises to play in the U.S. team, his chosen assistant can accept a large portion of the competitive lawsuit, driving logistics in a Biennial game where the captain replaced the golf.
“I’m so excited and thankful to Keegan for the opportunity to support the U.S. team at the 2025 Ryder Cup,” Woodland said in the same press release. “Keegan’s passion for this event is infectious and I’m excited to be a part of it. It’s only over two months until we arrived at Bethpage, and I’m totally committed to doing everything I can to help Keegan and our team of vice captains and players.”
In addition to his role as assistant captain, Woodland represents the latest work of Bradley’s efforts to reshape the direction of leadership in the Ryder Cup in the United States. Woodland, 41, is one of the most respected voices at American Pro Golf, who has recovered from brain surgery in the 2023 season over the past few seasons.
For the U.S. side of the transitional leadership period (outside voices like Tiger Woods), Woodland represents an interesting look for future Ryder Cup leadership. It’s hard to tell what his character looks like now, but he’s the face he watched in early September.
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