Pre-Ryder Cup Discussion: Team Building and Bethpage Challenge

Keegan Bradley envisions the possibility of being a player-captain for the United States in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Before the event takes place on Sept. 26-28, Bradley has many scenarios to consider. He and Team Europe's captain, Luke Donald, discussed the preparations for the event at a news conference in New York on Tuesday.

The friendly Q&A session, held a year before the teams meet, covered a wide range of topics including team construction, the potential inclusion of LIV Golf players, and whether Bradley will choose himself for the team.

Bradley, ranked 14th in the world and 8th among Americans, has been focused on his role as captain since being appointed last July. However, he is still a full-time player and has a real chance at making the team.

\"Right now, my focus is on being a captain but I'm still a full-time player,\" Bradley, 38, said. \"I'm still playing in all the majors and all the big events next year. So I have a real shot at doing this.

\"For now, I'm focusing on my guys and getting them ready to go.\"

Donald, at 46, is closer to playing on the Champions Tour than in the Ryder Cup, which he won four times as a player. He is planning on selecting 12 players who give Europe the best chance to win, including those on the LIV circuit.

This includes Spaniards Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, as well as his fellow Englishman, Tyrrell Hatton. Donald has spoken with them about what they need to do to potentially qualify for the team.

\"I've spoken to everyone that is a possibility for being on that team,\" Donald said. \"It was great to see Jon do what he needed to do to remain eligible and to see him in Spain, and last week he played very well at the Dunhill. We're in constant communication.

\"Again, I'm talking to all the players, to him, to Tyrrell. It was great to see Tyrrell win last week at the Dunhill.

\"You know, again, good communication between myself and all these players is vital, and I've certainly been keeping up with that.\"

Donald said Rory McIlroy has emerged as a team leader, and he's going to count on the influence of the Northern Irishman on Team Europe.

\"He understands the importance of the Ryder Cup. He understands that he wants to prepare as best as he can just like he would a major to be ready for that Ryder Cup,\" Donald said. \"You know, he's always a very strong leader, a strong voice in the team room, and he's great to have on your team because of that.\"

Bradley is also asking the U.S. veterans to work with younger players to help prepare them, the way Phil Mickelson did when Bradley was just a youngster playing in his first Ryder Cup in 2012 at Medinah in Illinois.

\"What Phil did for me is he created 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, really, it helped me.

\"He mentored me before the event. Took me to dinner. Talked to me nonstop throughout the year about the pressures and what's going to come and I really learned a lot, and it hasn't been until now that I've really realized what an incredible thing it was that he did for me.

\"So it's important that I communicate to the veterans of the team to do that for these rookies and for these younger players on our team.\"

Bradley and Donald also discussed the challenges of playing at Bethpage Black, a public course known for its length and difficulty. Bradley, as U.S. captain, will have the advantage of setting up the course to his team's liking.

\"When you go play the Black, you know it's going to be a tough test,\" Bradley said. \"That's just Bethpage. Big holes. A lot of drivers. I expect it to play tough like it always does.\"

And it will be a tough crowd, too, according to the Europeans.

\"The advantage we had in Rome and being at home, you feel that energy from the crowd and you can feed off