Keegan Bradley gives verdict on Phil Mickelson Ryder Cup return

As Luke Donald suggested one Ryder Cup legend is ready to return, Keegan Bradley appeared to downplay the possibility of another being involved at Bethpage Black.

At a belated ‘One Year to Go’ captains press conference in New York on Tuesday, Donald was asked about the possibility of Europe’s all-timer record points scorer Sergio Garcia making a shock comeback in next year’s match. 

Donald revealed he had been in talks with Spaniard, who clearly wants to play in an 11th Ryder Cup after a successful season on the LIV Golf circuit. But the Spaniard still has plenty of hurdles to overcome if he is to tee it up on Long Island, not least settling his hefty sanctions and reapplying for a DP World Tour membership before Wentworth HQ’s November 17 deadline.

Nobody, however, has played in more Ryder Cup matches than Phil Mickelson.

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Mickelson was, of course, a certain Ryder Cup captain before joining LIV in golf’s great schism, but it now appears highly unlikely that he will play any role at Bethpage.

“To be honest, I haven’t gotten that far,” Bradley said, when asked if there was any scenario Mickelson could be involved in the US locker room. “Personally, I don’t think he’s really interested in doing it. I owe a lot to Phil and I think he’s done so much for the American side of the Ryder Cup but I’m not so sure he’s looking to come in as a vice-captain.”

Bradley was paired with Mickelson in the 2012 and 2014 losing Ryder Cup teams and still has huge gratitude for the six-time major champion’s influence on his career.

“Early in my career, I really took for granted Phil’s leadership that he gave me,” the US captain added. “I was playing with one of the best players ever to touch a golf club… What Phil did for me was create a relaxed atmosphere, and he told me, ‘Don’t worry about putting it four or five feet by. I’ll make them coming back.’ Little stuff like that helped me.

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“He mentored me before the event. Took me to dinner. He talked to me nonstop throughout the year about the pressures and what would come, and I really learned a lot. It hasn’t been until now that I’ve really realized what an incredible thing it was that he did for me.”

Bradley did, however, make it abundantly clear once more that LIV golfers are very much up for selection in his team. 

“I’m going to take the 12 best players,” Bradley said. “So if we feel like there’s a few guys there, one guy, two guys, whatever it is, then we’re going to do that. But we’re too far out to figure out how this is all going to play out. But we’re definitely going to take the 12 best players, however that shakes out.”

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.