Golf

Mickelson’s Misstep Becomes Bradley’s Bonanza

The 2025 Ryder Cup matches at Bethpage were Lefty’s show but it’s now Keegan’s coronation.
Mickelson’s Misstep Becomes Bradley’s Bonanza
Keegan Bradley of The United States and Luke Donald of England speak at a press conference during the Ryder Cup 2024 Year to Go Media Event at The Times Center in New York, New York on October 08, 2024. Andrew Redington/Getty Images
M. James Ward
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NEW YORK CITY—The secret sauce that makes sports so fascinating is the constant inability to make firm predictions which actually happen. Matters can change suddenly. What was supposed to be a “sure” thing can blow away faster than sand in a windstorm.

Phil Mickelson becoming the captain of the USA Ryder Cup team in 2025 was viewed as the surest of outcomes. A winner of six major championships, his last coming at a record age of 50 in claiming the 2021 PGA Championship, in tandem with 45 PGA Tour victories, his selection was deemed a no-brainer.

M. James Ward
M. James Ward
Author
Ward is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and Met Golf Writers Association. He has covered over 100 major championships and 12 Ryder Cup Matches. His golf acumen extends to architecture/travel, equipment, apparel, and general interest stories as well as in-depth interviews with the leading participants and influencers in the sport.