Zach Johnson explains why ‘special’ Keegan Bradley given Ryder Cup nod

Zach Johnson has explained why Keegan Bradley is the right man to lead the US Ryder Cup team out at Bethpage next year.

The PGA of America, along with the selection committee that includes last year’s losing captain Johnson, turned to Bradley when Tiger Woods turned down the role to focus on other commitments.

And with everyone – including the man himself – expecting Stewart Cink to take the reins, the job was handed to 38-year-old Bradley.

There has been some pushback on the announcement, with some critics pointing out the fact Bradley hasn’t been involved in the Ryder Cup since 2014 when he last competed in the biennial showdown, while others say he only got the job because of the now infamous scene between him and Johnson in the Netflix series Full Swing.

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Even Bradley admitted that he had no inkling of getting the role until he received a phone call from Seth Waugh and John Lindert – the CEO and president of the PGA of America respectively – as well as Johnson.

“I didn’t have one conversation with anybody about this until I was told I was the captain,” he explained.

“I had trouble talking. When they called me, I felt funny after the call because I don’t think I reacted in the way they were expecting me to. I was in complete shock. It was heavy.”

None of those things, however, are a concern for Johnson.

“To say I was honoured to make that phone call would be a massive understatement,” Johnson told the Mirror. “Number one, he’s a fantastic human being. Number two, he’s passionate about the United States and the Ryder Cup.

“And three, he knows the guys that are going to be playing. He’s very much in the fold as far as competition goes and he can make his own team, which is pretty special.”

Bradley and the PGA of America are expected to announce the qualification process for the 2025 Ryder Cup – which will take place over Bethpage State Park’s Black course next September – in the coming weeks.