A Ryder Cup Putt Changed His Life. Now He’s The Captain Of The United States Team.

Keegan Bradley fondly recalls nan putt that altered his life forever.

Bradley was successful attendance astatine nan 1999 Ryder Cup astatine The Country Club successful Brookline, Massachusetts, erstwhile he watched Justin Leonard descend a 45-foot birdie putt connected nan 17th spread — efficaciously winning nan tournament.

That plaything of nan nine motivated Bradley, past 13 years old, to prosecute his dream moreover harder.

“I was play obsessed, but that pushed maine into immoderate crazy mode,” Bradley told NBC News connected Monday. “I conscionable couldn’t judge really astonishing nan tourney was.”

Now, 26 years later, Bradley is not only nan 13th-ranked golfer successful nan world, he besides will beryllium nan skipper of nan United States squad for nan 45th loop of nan Ryder Cup.

The tourney — which features 2 teams of 12 golfers from nan United States and Europe facing disconnected successful a lucifer play format — will return spot from Sept. 26-28 astatine Bethpage State Park successful New York. Six Americans person already automatically qualified for nan team, while six much will beryllium selected astatine Bradley’s discretion (including, possibly, himself).

Bradley, 39, was named skipper of nan squad successful July 2024. He will beryllium nan youngest skipper of a Ryder Cup squad since Arnold Palmer successful 1963.

That twelvemonth was besides nan past a golfer served arsenic some skipper and subordinate — a dual domiciled respective of Bradley’s contemporaries person said he should service adjacent month.

“In immoderate profession, nan respect of your peers is what you cherish nan most,” Bradley said. “To perceive nan boys opportunity that is astir apt 1 of nan highlights of my career. But my occupation erstwhile they asked maine to beryllium skipper is put nan champion squad connected nan people astatine Bethpage.

“I don’t attraction if I play, if I don’t play, arsenic agelong arsenic we win. Whatever determination I make pinch regards to that is what I deliberation is champion for nan squad to win.”

Keegan Bradley hits from nan seventh tee during nan first information of nan BMW Championship play tourney successful Owings Mills, Md., connected Aug. 14.Nick Wass / AP

Bradley wouldn’t uncover his picks Monday, though he said he had a “pretty bully idea” of nan guidance he wanted to go.

Whoever Bradley selects will beryllium tasked pinch stopping what 1 could reason has been an era of European dominance. Europe has won 8 of nan past 11 Ryder Cups making love backmost to 2002.

Bradley, however, views things differently.

“To beryllium perfectly honorable pinch you, we’ve traded location and distant Ryder Cups since 2008 pinch nan objection of 2012,” he said. “We’re correct astir even. Certainly nan guys connected this squad person nary hint what happened successful nan early 2000s. I deliberation that’s benignant of a misconception.”

Bradley himself will beryllium looking for his first Ryder Cup win. He was a personnel of nan 2012 and 2014 teams, which some lost. Still, Bradley looks backmost connected those competitions fondly, peculiarly disconnected nan course, wherever he sewage to stock autobus rides and a locker room pinch nan likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

For now, Bradley is trying to bask nan process of being captain. He said he appreciates nan support from fans he’s received complete nan past year, while besides admitting his duties are getting much stressful arsenic nan cup approaches. (Among those duties was unveiling nan team’s caller Ralph Lauren uniforms connected nan “TODAY” show connected Monday.)

Bradley has leaned connected his vice captains arsenic he navigates nan lead-up to September, successful peculiar mentioning Jim Furyk arsenic 1 of his astir trusted advisers.

A immense Boston sports fan, Bradley drew a parallel to nan Red Sox erstwhile discussing really his squad tin win astatine Bethpage.

“You put together a bully team, a squad that’s close, a squad that plays hard, and you tin win.”