After his win at the Travelers Championship, the conversations around whether Keegan Bradley should be a playing captain at the 2025 Ryder Cup have only intensified.
Bradley is up to seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking and ninth in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, with the top six automatically earning spots on the team. Bradley previously stated he wouldn’t pick himself for the team, but with three months to go until showtime at Bethpage Black, Bradley’s play is almost proving he should be one of the 12 players donning the red, white and blue.
On Wednesday, Captain America was asked about the prospect of Bradley being a playing captain. Patrick Reed, who has a 7-3-2 Ryder Cup record, including a 3-0 mark in singles, is also trying to earn his way back on the team for the first time since 2018.
Ahead of 2025 LIV Golf Dallas, Reed was asked about whether he would be in favor of Bradley picking himself.
“Honestly, for me, if I was in his shoes, if I felt like I was playing as the top 12, inside that top 12, then I’d play,” Reed said. “The thing about being a captain, it’s about putting the best team forward no matter who it is, and whoever is in the best form is obviously one of those guys that I’d make sure is on the team. If he continues playing the way he’s playing and continues competing on Sundays and having a chance to win, I’m all for it.
“It’s all what he feels like is the best for the team, and if that means him playing is best for the team, that’s what you have amazing vice captains for is to take over that role if you’re out there having a chance to play and have a good chance for the U.S. to bring the Cup home.”
For Reed, whose 33rd in the points, he has an arduous task to make the team, but it’s on his mind. He finished third at the Masters and T-23 at the U.S. Open, the only two places he has earned points this year. Americans competing for LIV Golf can only earn points in major championships, meaning essentially four shots in 2025 to try to automatically qualify on points or play well enough to earn a selection from the captain.
“It’s always on your mind,” Reed said of the Ryder Cup. “Anytime I get to represent our country, it means a lot to me. For me personally, I’m always thinking about trying to make every team.
“Obviously being a part of LIV where we don’t get points, it’s an uphill battle, but really for me it’s focused on playing some great golf and having a chance. It’s really going to come down to the Open Championship, having a chance to win there. You have a really good showing and play well there, then you just never know.”
Reed will tee it up at Royal Portrush next month looking for a week to remember in Northern Ireland. His best finish in an Open is solo 10th in 2019, the last time the oldest major championship was at Royal Portrush.
This year, if he wants to be a part of Bradley’s team, he’ll need another similar effort, if not better, to make the team.
“It is looking like no matter what it’s going to rely on a pick unless I go ahead and win the Open,” he said. “Really the only way I can focus on the Ryder Cup is that one week, go out and give all I have and have a chance to win.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ryder Cup 2025: Patrick Reed on Keegan Bradley as playing captain