US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has confirmed several potential team members will tee it up in a PGA Tour event between the Tour Championship and the biennial contest.
Qualification for the US team ends in a few weeks’ time at the conclusion of the second leg of the PGA Tour’s playoffs.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has already booked his spot on the team and five others will join him after the BMW Championship.
Bradley will then confirm his six wildcards that will head to Bethpage Black in New York over 26-28 September.
There is a lengthy period of time between the conclusion of the Tour Championship at East Lake and the start of the Ryder Cup.
Keegan Bradley
Before the 2023 contest, several members of the US side opted to use the gap to practice at home and re-charge their batteries.
Jordan Spieth later conceded this was a huge mistake.
By contrast, all 12 members of the 2023 European team participated in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The group also went on a two-week reconnaissance trip to Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Italy.
The US team also took a recce, but it was shorter and not every member went.
Spieth didn’t go as his wife Annie was heavily pregnant with their second child.
Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were also absent and we now know that was down to a contractual dispute with the PGA of America.
Bradley, though, has confirmed that he’ll play in the Procore Championship over 11-14 September.
Rank
Movement
Player
Country
Points
1
—
Scottie Scheffler (Q)
USA
32,420.33
2
—
Xander Schauffele
USA
13,383.85
3
—
J.J. Spaun
USA
12,478.91
4
—
Russell Henley
USA
11,623.82
5
—
Bryson DeChambeau
USA
10,774.98
6
—
Harris English
USA
10,385.65
7
—
Justin Thomas
USA
10,208.09
8
—
Collin Morikawa
USA
9,743.61
9
—
Ben Griffin
USA
8,604.91
10
—
Keegan Bradley
USA
8,038.50
11
—
Maverick McNealy
USA
7,414.15
12
—
Brian Harman
USA
7,007.99
13
—
Andrew Novak
USA
6,560.15
14
—
Patrick Cantlay
USA
6,069.39
15
—
Sam Burns
USA
5,638.79
16
—
Wyndham Clark
USA
5,171.07
17
—
Lucas Glover
USA
4,640.94
18
—
Daniel Berger
USA
4,492.01
19
—
Cameron Young
USA
4,413.64
20
↓2
Chris Gotterup
USA
4,403.64
21
↑1
Tom Hoge
USA
4,392.10
22
↑1
Tony Finau
USA
4,224.01
23
↓8
Sam Stevens
USA
4,144.74
24
↑1
Denny McCarthy
USA
3,990.27
25
↑1
Akshay Bhatia
USA
3,799.30
It is the first of seven events under the PGA Tour’s fall series that gives those an opportunity to that missed the FedEx Cup playoffs to qualify for next year’s signature events.
For others, it is an opportunity to secure their PGA Tour cards for 2026 and the tournaments are also open to exempt members.
Bradley told Sports Illustrated that ‘no one is required to go’, adding: “The boys feel like this is the best course of action to be ready to play at their highest level at Bethpage Black.”
The aforementioned Clark, who made his Ryder Cup debut in Italy, previously admitted he apologised to his playing partner Max Homa during his first match in Rome after a dreadful start.
Clark said as though he wasn’t ‘tournament sharp’.
“I felt like a lot of us weren’t prepared,” Clark added.
Zach Johnson, who led Team USA in 2023, did not agree that he wasn’t prepared.
His only regret after their five-point defeat was not understanding the ‘pure commodity of time’.
Zach Johnson
“The common denominator that I go back to that I wish I could have changed, or not changed, I wish it would have dawned on me earlier is just the pure commodity of time and understanding that it’s precious,” he said.
“If I could have put more value into time management, I could have put my guys in a better position to play golf at a better rate early on.
“I’m not suggesting that would have changed the outcome, not at all. I can’t determine that, that’s sports, right?
“I’m just saying I think in my seat I didn’t see what needed to be seen until after the fact.”
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