As Bradley spoke on Tuesday at a press conference to introduce him as the U.S. captain for next year\u2019s Ryder Cup<\/a> at Bethpage Black<\/a>, he was establishing his feelings toward how he would approach LIV Golf. Would he pick players from the three-season-old, Saudi-backed league that has fought with the PGA Tour? Last year, ahead of the biennial event, his predecessor had. Would Bradley go to LIV events to scout? Last year, his predecessor seemingly hadn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bradley said he would, though, and he said he wouldn\u2019t shy from LIV selections. Three times in response to a question on how he would handle LIV players, he noted a qualification for his team\u2019s makeup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Best players. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’m going to have the 12 best players on the team,\u201d Bradley said. \u201cI don’t care what, where they play. So we’re, we have a mission to win this tournament. I’m not worried about the LIV stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want the best players on the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the time we get to Bethpage in 2025, we have no clue how the layout of the golf world’s going to be. As it comes to going to LIV events, if there’s guys that are on the fringe, I’m willing to do that. Again, I’ve only been the captain for two weeks and we haven’t really even gotten the real points started, which start next year. So I’ll have to wait and see how everything shakes out, and my biggest concern is having the best players on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notably, since LIV\u2019s creation, there\u2019s been just one other Ryder Cup where this has been also addressed, and there\u2019s been only one other U.S. captain who\u2019s had to address LIV: last year, when Zach Johnson did so. In the end, he did pick LIV pro Brooks Koepka<\/a> among his six captain\u2019s picks for the 12-player team that went on to lose to the European side<\/a> in Italy, and last July, Johnson described his LIV protocol this way: <\/p>\n\n\n \u201cWhen it comes to the Ryder Cup, our system, if you will, was already intact arguably last year even when we decided as a Ryder Cup committee as to how we wanted to navigate the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy point in saying that is that what’s transpiring in professional golf from a competitive level, competition level, is PGA Tour; right? It’s not PGA of America [which runs the U.S. Ryder Cup team]. So the individuals that are Americans that play on other tours that are not the PGA Tour, they could play, I mean, technically the Latin Tour or the Asian Tour or wherever. More times than not they’re going to be members of the PGA of America for a number of reasons. Our liability insurance is number one and some other benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese guys that left the PGA Tour that had status and left to play on that other tour, the LIV Tour, they’re still members of the PGA of America, so they are still able to garner points. They’re able to play in the PGA Championship as a result because that’s what the PGA of America runs. Obviously, technically, can still be a part of Team USA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But would Johnson watch LIV pros at their tournaments? At the time, to determine six automatic picks to the team and to potentially help with the six captain\u2019s selections, the U.S. used a ranking system<\/a> that awarded points based on PGA Tour and major championship play \u2014 and the former was blocked to LIV players. Under this system, Koepka finished seventh in the standings, largely due to a win at the PGA Championship<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There, in May, Johnson had this exchange, started by a reporter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEarlier in the week, you said you have not witnessed the LIV Golf, you haven’t been going out and watching it. Is that something you’ll change? We have seen at the Masters, we are seeing it here \u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you expecting me,\u201d Johnson said, \u201cto go to LIV events and spectate?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cYeah. As a captain, it seems logical if these guys \u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think the luxury of me being captain,\u201d Johnson said, \u201cI’m still relevant and prevalent out on the PGA Tour and that’s where my status holds. So for me to abandon that on a week where I could be out there and go where the bulk of my players are certainly going to come from there, I don’t know what time will tell, but the bulk are going to come from there would be irresponsible on my behalf and inappropriate if I were to leave what I am trying to do as a competitor and as a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould that stand as the whole season? Do you have no plans to go to any?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHasn’t been discussed,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI’m not one that’s ever to say never, but it’s not been discussed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later in the interview, Johnson was asked about watching LIV broadcasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you get the CW event to watch their broadcast or YouTube?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCW?\u201d Johnson asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat’s where it’s on television.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn’t know that,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI do get to see it \u2014 I have to ask my kids. I think I get the CW.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe point is, you can still assess and analyze the players without going to watch them?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n![\"Keegan](\"https:\/\/golf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/keegs.jpg\"\n)
<\/a>\n <\/div>\n 1 ominous truth about Keegan Bradley as Ryder Cup captain<\/a><\/blockquote>\n By:<\/span>\n \n \n Sean Zak <\/a>\n \n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n Why Tiger Woods turned down the U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy<\/a><\/blockquote>\n By:<\/span>\n \n \n Jack Hirsh <\/a>\n \n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/golf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/mickelson-bradley-ryder-cup.jpg\"\n)
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