Scottie Scheffler admits surprise over Keegan Bradley Ryder Cup call

Scottie Scheffler has admitted he was left surprised by Keegan Bradley’s appointment as Team USA’s Ryder Cup captain.

Bradley was a left-field choice as the PGA of America chased an alternative to Tiger Woods to lead the US at Bethpage next September. The 38-year-old still has a strong chance of making the team as a player, so there are already doubts about the feasibility of taking on the leadership role while competing on Long Island.

But Bradley’s appointment has also been met with excitement by the American players who have welcomed Ryder Cup bosses thinking outside the box. Scheffler played with Bradley at last month’s Presidents Cup and, after the initial shock of the news that broke in July, has been left convinced he is the perfect successor to Zach Johnson.

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“I was definitely a bit surprised,” the world No.1 told the GOLF’s Subpar podcast. “But the more I thought about it I was just getting fired up. I think he’s going to be awesome. We were talking to him about the Ryder Cup and just catching up with him about it.

“I mean he’s going to be a great captain, he’s going to be passionate and he’s going to make sure we’re in a position to succeed and go out there and play well. I’m excited. I think he’s going to do a great job.

“I remember when I heard the announcement, I thought, ‘that was not the direction I thought they were going to go’. Then I sat there for a few minutes and I was like ‘wow, this is going to be awesome, this is going to be really good’.”

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Like Scheffler, Rickie Fowler was similarly taken aback by the PGA of America’s drastic change in approach. He too endorses the call.

“I was more surprised about the change in terms of direction and typical age of captains,” Fowler told bunkered.co.uk back in July. “It could be something with him being much more current that this is something that ends up working well for us. We haven’t exactly had the most success in the last 20 or 30 years.

“When it comes to the best players in the world, it’s not like players need motivation and pep talks. We want to go out there and play well. But he’s someone who is very passionate and it might be the right direction for us.”

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.