Ryder Cup 2025: 4 Biggest Team USA Snubs as Keegan Bradley Announces Full Squad

On Wednesday, Team U.S.A.’s Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley revealed his six captain’s picks for the upcoming Ryder Cup. Apart from the top six who automatically qualified, Bradley rounded out the American roster with Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay, and Sam Burns. While the selections sparked both excitement and controversy, several notable names were left off the list, and many argued that the current roster could have been different. The American squad is looking to bounce back after the heartbreaking loss of Marco Simone. Bradley’s choices have raised eyebrows, especially considering the form, rankings, and potential upside of certain overlooked players. Here are the four players Keegan Bradley could have gone with, and undoubtedly the first one has to be Bradley himself.

1. Keegan Bradley

The biggest question heading into Wednesday’s Ryder Cup roster announcement wasn’t who Keegan Bradley would pick — it was whether he would pick himself. It may have seemed unusual for a captain to pick himself, but in Bradley’s case, it would have made perfect sense.

While his official ranking in the world is #11, Bradley is ranked the 8th-best American in the world with 8 career wins under his belt. He had a stellar season this year, with six top-10 finishes and one win at the 2025 Travelers Championship. Even after the win, Bradley was confident that he could manage both playing and his captain’s duties — “I still think [being a playing captain] would be very challenging if that’s what happens, but I think it’s much more manageable now with these five guys behind me.”

He did think it was possible to do both with the support of his five vice captains, but over time, he realised the better decision was to step aside. “I’m 100 percent certain this is the right choice. I want to be the best captain I can be,” he said. But Keegan Bradley had every reason to play. He’s ranked 11th on the Ryder Cup points list with 8435 points. Not just that, his statistics on course this year have been impeccable too — 12th in overall Strokes Gained, a scoring average of 69.9, and within the top 20 in proximity around the greens.

He also comes with experience playing in the Ryder Cup (2012 & 2014), and has always thrived on emotion and energy, qualities that team events require. Had he considered playing on the team, he would have made history and been the first player to captain since Arnold Palmer did the same in 1963. In a year when leadership and form were both needed, Bradley could have filled both roles, but he opted to make the tough decision, heartily. 

2. Maverick McNealy

Perhaps the most puzzling omission of all was Maverick McNealy. He is the highest-ranked player in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings (10th) to be left off the team. McNealy ranks ahead of Cameron Young (14th), Patrick Cantlay (15th), and Sam Burns (16th), all of whom made the team. The Stanford alum has been one of the steadiest American players this season, with seven top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the 2025 Genesis Invitational. He even finished third in the 2025 BMW Championship at Caves Valley and managed a top-25 finish in the FedEx Cup rankings for the season.

Although he’s just had one win in his entire career (2024 RSM Classic), McNealy brings his strong form and consistency (24th in overall strokes gained), which could have been a key weapon in match play. His putting, a critical asset in Ryder Cup formats, ranks 21st overall on Tour, just one spot behind #1 Scottie Scheffler, highlighting his ability to convert when it counts. That combination of steady tee-to-green performance and clutch putting made McNealy a quietly valuable option. Leaving him off the team in favor of players ranked well below him makes his omission all the more difficult to justify.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOUR 2025 UNITED STATES RYDER CUP TEAM

CAPTAIN KEEGAN WILL NOT BE PLAYING. pic.twitter.com/NXyh4u3Px5

— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) August 27, 2025

3. Brian Harman

The 2023 Open Champion and one of the most consistent performers in big events over the past two seasons, Brian Harman has repeatedly shown he can handle pressure on golf’s biggest stages. In 2025, he won the Valero Texas Open, had four top-10 finishes — including a tied 10th finish at this year’s Open Championship, and closed the season 13th in the FedEx Cup standings. He’s also ranked 28th in the Official World Golf Ranking and 12th in the Ryder Cup points standings, somewhat matching Maverick McNealy’s situation while ranking ahead of several players who were ultimately chosen.

With four career wins and a 2-2-0 record at the 2023 Ryder Cup, Harman brings both recent form and proven team experience to the table. Harman’s gritty, unshakable mentality makes him tailor-made for match play, and overlooking a player with his resume and skill set could prove to be one of Team USA’s most costly decisions.

4. Chris Gotterup

Chris Gotterup may be a newcomer to the professional scene, but his recent surge in form made a strong case for inclusion on the Ryder Cup roster. Though Gotterup turned professional in 2022, he has managed to place himself among the top-30 players in the world, and is the 15th best American player. His 2025 season has shown flashes of brilliance — particularly in the last two months.

Despite missing nine cuts earlier in the season, he’s turned it around in dramatic fashion with four top-10 finishes in his last six starts, including a win at the 2025 Scottish Open, a third-place finish at the 2025 Open Championship, and a tied 10th finish at the Tour Championship just last week. Even statistically, he’s one of the most dynamic young players in the game.

He is ranked 4th in scoring average, 8th in driving distance (a key asset at Bethpage Black), and 20th in Ryder Cup points. If Team U.S.A. wanted to shake things up and inject fresh faces, Gotterup would have been a prime candidate. Even though he’s ranked 20th in the Ryder Cup points list and has never played in a team event, Gotterup’s power and confidence would have made him a standout choice. While his name doesn’t carry the weight of some of Keegan Bradley’s picks, Gotterup’s recent form would have made him one of the most intriguing options for a captain’s pick.

Keegan Bradley’s picks reflect a mix of trust in experience and belief in chemistry — but in doing so, he may have passed over players who’ve simply outperformed those he selected. McNealy, Gotterup, and Harman each brought something unique to the table, and even Bradley himself would have been a strong contender. While it’s easy to say his choices are questionable, and he could have gone with several others, only time will tell whether these choices will prove wise or regrettable through results at Bethpage Black.

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