ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The build-up to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black has been plunged into unprecedented controversy just hours after the stunning announcement of Keegan Bradley as Team USA’s captain. A coalition of the game’s biggest stars, including major champions Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, have publicly blasted Bradley for his first and most consequential decision: selecting *himself* as a playing captain.
The move, which breaks with decades of modern Ryder Cup tradition, has ignited a firestorm of criticism from players on both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, creating a rare moment of unity across golf’s fractured landscape, albeit in opposition to their new leader.
Bradley, 38, was appointed on Monday following the surprise rejection of previous front-runner Tiger Woods. In a passionate press conference, the six-time PGA Tour winner outlined his vision for a “new, fiery energy” to reclaim the cup from Europe. However, it was his final remark that sent shockwaves through the sport.
“And to that end, I believe my passion and current form will be best served not just on the sidelines, but in the arena,” Bradley declared. “Therefore, I will be naming myself as the first of my six Captain’s Picks for the 2025 team.”
The backlash was swift and severe.
Rahm: “A Slap in the Face to Every Player”
Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm, a key figure for the European team, was scathing in his assessment, calling the decision “egotistical and shortsighted.”
“This isn’t the 1950s. The role of a captain is all-consuming. To believe you can adequately prepare a team, manage pairings, make in-play decisions, and *also* focus on competing at the highest level against the best in the world is a fantasy,” Rahm stated in an interview with Sky Sports. “It’s a slap in the face to every player vying for a spot. He’s effectively taken a pick that could have gone to a deserving young star and given it to himself.”
DeChambeau: “A Monumental Distraction”
Bryson DeChambeau, whose triumphant U.S. Open victory at Pinehurst solidified his case for a captain’s pick, echoed Rahm’s sentiments, focusing on the strategic implications.
“The data doesn’t lie. The workload is immense. Your focus has to be 100% on the team, their games, their dynamics, their mental state,” DeChambeau said on his YouTube channel. “How can you console a player who just lost a heartbreaking match when you have to go to the range and prep for your own fourball? It creates a monumental distraction and a clear conflict of interest. The team deserves a full-time captain.”
A Unified Front of Disapproval
Sources within Team USA’s potential player pool indicate the discontent runs deep. Three other high-profile American stars, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid direct reprisal, were equally