US golfer Keegan Bradley identifies a Fall Series event as crucial preparatory ground for the upcoming Ryder Cup competition.
The US Ryder Cup team is set to make a strategic move ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, with most players planning to participate in the PGA Tour's Fall Series event, the Procore Championship at Silverado Country Club in Napa, California.
This decision, spearheaded by US captain Keegan Bradley, comes as a contrast to the approach taken by Luke Donald's team in the run-up to the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone. Unlike Team USA, who mostly kept playing in the lead-up to Rome, Donald's side played at the PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Irish Open the week before.
The Procore Championship, scheduled for early September, will provide an ideal opportunity for US players to stay sharp while still having enough time to rest before Ryder Cup play. The event, a Fall Series event on the PGA Tour, will carry significant FedExCup points and exemptions, but the main motivation for Ryder Cup players is preparation and form rather than points.
Scottie Scheffler, a leading player, has confirmed his participation in the Procore Championship, seeing it as a crucial warm-up for the Ryder Cup. Bradley believes playing in this event will help team members get into competition mode and be better ready to perform at a high level at Bethpage.
The timing after the Tour Championship provides about four weeks before the Ryder Cup, which players like Scheffler think is enough rest while also allowing for important competitive reps. This contrasts with the previous year’s long layoff after the PGA Tour season ended, which was seen as detrimental to US players’ performance against Europe at Rome in 2023.
Notably, some players like Bryson DeChambeau, who is part of LIV Golf and thus currently ineligible for PGA Tour events, are unable to participate in the Fall Series events despite wanting to join the team in competitive play. However, the majority of other US team members are aligned with the plan to play the Procore Championship as a Ryder Cup warm-up.
Captain Keegan Bradley will make his picks for the Ryder Cup team on August 27 following the Tour Championship. The six automatic American qualifiers for the Ryder Cup will be decided after next week's BMW Championship. The captain has held talks with players expected to be on his team at Bethpage Black regarding this decision, emphasising that no one is required to go to the Procore Championship, and the decision is based on the players' desire to be ready to play at their highest level at Bethpage Black.
In 2023, Max Homa and Justin Thomas, along with captain Zach Johnson, played in Napa before the Ryder Cup in Italy. This year, Bradley and Team USA aim for an unusually strong field at the Fall Series event, Procore Championship, to address possible ring rust as a factor in their 2023 defeat.
Wyndham Clark, a member of Team USA, admitted feeling unprepared after five weeks off before the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone. The majority of Team USA players sat out for the month between the Tour Championship and the 2023 Ryder Cup. Bradley's approach aims to ensure that US players will be well-prepared to take on Europe in 2025.
[1] Golf Digest. (2023). US Ryder Cup Team to Play Procore Championship as Prep for Bethpage Black. [online] Available at: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/us-ryder-cup-team-to-play-procore-championship-as-prep-for-bethpage-black
[2] Golf.com. (2023). US Ryder Cup Team to Compete in Procore Championship Before Bethpage Black. [online] Available at: https://www.golf.com/news/2023/08/10/us-ryder-cup-team-to-compete-in-procore-championship-before-bethpage-black/
[3] ESPN. (2023). US Ryder Cup Team to Play Procore Championship as Preparation for Bethpage Black. [online] Available at: https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/35258163/us-ryder-cup-team-play-procore-championship-preparation-bethpage-black
[4] GolfWeek. (2023). US Ryder Cup Team to Play Procore Championship to Stay Sharp for Bethpage Black. [online] Available at: https://www.golfweek.com/2023/08/10/us-ryder-cup-team-to-play-procore-championship-to-stay-sharp-for-bethpage-black/
[5] Golf Channel. (2023). LIV Golfers Excluded from PGA Tour's Fall Series Events. [online] Available at: https://www.golfchannel.com/news/liv-golfers-excluded-pga-tours-fall-series-events/
The US Ryder Cup team, led by captain Keegan Bradley, plans to participate in the PGA Tour's Fall Series event, the Procore Championship, as a strategic move to stay sharp and boost their form before the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Scottie Scheffler, a leading player, sees the Procore Championship as a crucial warm-up for the Ryder Cup, while Bryson DeChambeau, due to his LIV Golf ineligibility for PGA Tour events, will miss out on this opportunity.
