100 days from Ryder Cup, Keegan Bradley savoring journey

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U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said Wednesday that the only time he isn’t thinking about September’s Ryder Cup is when he is “inside the ropes Thursday through Sunday.”

With the start of the Ryder Cup now just 100 days away, Bradley fielded questions about the experience as he got ready to tee off in the Travelers Championship starting Thursday in Cromwell, Conn.

“For the most part, I’m thinking only about the Ryder Cup,” the first-time captain said. “I’m looking at the points list. I’m looking at potential pairings. I’m talking to the scouts. I’m talking to the vice captains. We’re talking about strategy, bus ride schedules, media schedules.”

The 45th Ryder Cup competition against the defending champions from Team Europe runs from Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black on Long Island, N.Y.

Bradley, 39, was serenaded with chants of “USA” from the fans on Sunday when he made his final putt of the U.S. Open, where he finished T33 at Oakmont Country Club.

“Everywhere I go, I’m getting USA chants, people are cheering me on,” he said. “… It’s been something that I hadn’t really expected, to be honest. It’s taken me by surprise, and it’s just a treat to go out there and play every day as the Ryder Cup captain.”

Bradley is still finalizing the roster, but it sure sounded like J.J. Spaun locked up a spot with his first major win on Sunday.

“I think going to a course like Bethpage Black, the people are really going to be behind a guy like J.J. Spaun. His story is incredible. He’s a hard working guy that’s just building and building and building his whole career. To win the U.S. Open at Oakmont, in my eyes, is the pinnacle of major golf. It’s as tough as you can get,” Bradley said.

“I think he’s a guy that people at Bethpage will really resonate with and a guy that on our team is the heartbeat. He’s now the U.S. Open champion. That’s a heavy burden to bear, but he’s also — that’s also a great thing to have on your team.

“I’m really proud to have him on this team because it’s really difficult to make your first team. To go out there the way he did this year and play in these big events this well is a testament to what a player he is.”

Bradley, who won the Travelers in 2023 and finished T39 last year, said the burden of his Ryder Cup responsibilities will temporarily disappear as he tackles the TPC River Highlands course this week for the PGA Tour season’s final signature event.

“I really have enjoyed every second of this,” he said. “There’s been no … it hasn’t affected me personally on the golf course, I don’t think, but I really have enjoyed this so much.”

–Field Level Media