PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 15, 2025

Keegan Bradley

Quail Hollow Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Keegan Bradley is with us now at the 107th PGA Championship.

Keegan, a nice start for you today. How would you summarize your opening round?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: It was great. I played as solid of a round of golf today as I've played all year. I just hit one bad drive on 9, which is a brutal hole. But I played really well. Just a few wacky little mud balls that affected some of the shots, but really proud of the way I played.

Q. Did you request to get a look at those guys in the pairing, and then you have so much data, how much can you actually learn from actually getting eyes on a guy?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I definitely did not request that pairing. I actually kind of felt bad for the boys when I saw it. I remember my first time playing with a captain, I played with Tom Watson at the Greenbrier, and I was nervous to do that.

I was proud of the way they played today. They are such good guys and incredible players, and there's nothing in these two days that's going to determine yes or no if they're on this team. I'm proud of the way they played today.

I'm sure that was definitely a distraction for them it. They didn't show it. They played amazing.

Q. What's it like being a Ryder Cup Captain, trying to keep an eye on how other potential players on your team are performing, managing your own game, as well, and are you having a personal duel with the European Ryder Cup, as well, Luke Donald?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I'm excited to shoot him a text when we're done here. I was pumped to see Luke up there. I know how hard he's been working back home.

Luke is an all-time great player. Doesn't surprise me. But yeah, as I've said, when I'm inside the ropes, I'm focusing on myself as a player.

This afternoon when I leave here, there will be a few things that I will probably do as the captain. When I'm here playing and I'm playing with Andrew and Mav, I'm not scouting out how they are playing. I'm trying to figure out how to play this difficult golf course.

Q. Can you share what might be in the text?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: I'm just going to, I'll give him a little s---. I'll tell him how happy I am for him to play like that, and to come out -- you know, I don't know when the last time he played in a major was. Well, he played here last year. But to come out here and shoot 4-under on the first day on this course is impressive.

Q. I'm not sure if you know that he said all he has to do is tie you and then he gets to take the trophy back with him?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: (Laughing).

Q. To have two Ryder Cup captains up there at top, near the top of the leaderboard, is kind of neat, isn't it?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: It's unique. You know, one of the interesting things about becoming captain, only other captains can understand what you're going through, and the day-to-day process and the pressure and everything that comes with that.

So you know, for him to go out there and shoot that round, it's impressive. You know, it makes me happy.

Q. Do you want to be a playing captain?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: I don't know. I want to help the team the best I can. If that means playing, then I'll do that.

But you know, I think it's pretty difficult to do both. But I have incredible vice captains, including Jim Furyk, who has done this before. Snedeker and Webb and Kisner have all been assistants.

We have a great team. But if it comes down to do I think that's what will help us win, that's what I'll do. But yeah, that's the only thought in my head.

Q. I know you've had a lot of other duties, but you haven't slowed down your practice, have you?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: No. No. It hasn't affected my preparation one bit. The biggest challenge has been when I am practicing to not constantly think about the Ryder Cup and to be focused on what I'm doing, because sometimes when I practice, I get into almost a meditative sort of state and a lot of ideas come to me then, and I have like a little notebook that I write ideas down and sometimes I can get distracted with that. But it hasn't affected my preparation at all.

Q. I wanted to ask a question from a different perspective. The fact that we have two captains in contention this week, what does it tell you about how the captains are picked and how the captains are chosen, younger people, people that can be in contention?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it's definitely a different era of Ryder Cup captains. I've said a million times, if they gave Tiger or Phil a captaincy at my age, they would have been doing the same thing. I've just been the only one given the opportunity.

I still feel like I'm in the prime of my career. I don't feel like I'm in this Ryder Cup role where -- I'm still trying to be one of the best players in the world, and feel like I can be.

Just because I'm the Ryder Cup captain doesn't change my outlook towards how I compete.

Q. It looks to me like both you and Luke are resistant to the idea of being playing captains but it's getting to a point where you might make the team. What do you do with that?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: We'll see. I've sort of set a timetable of the U.S. Open to kind of reevaluate after the U.S. Open where we stand.

But as of right now, I'm not anywhere near making the team. So as I've said a million times, I'm acting as if I am the captain, not playing at this point.

But obviously trying to go out and win majors, win tournaments and do the best that I can.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your time, Keegan.