Keegan Bradley sparks Ryder Cup strategy overhaul after Team USA’s 2023 failure

The 2025 Ryder Cup won't be played until Sept. 26-28, but Team USA captain Keegan Bradley is already doing a vastly superior job preparing his squad than Zach Johnson did two years ago. 

Two weeks after naming his six captain's picks to complete the 12-man U.S. squad, Bradley rallied his team to play in the Procore Championship this weekend at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif. Ten players —excluding Xander Schauffele, who just celebrated the birth of his first child, and LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau, who isn't allowed to compete on the PGA Tour — are in Napa to compete in the first event of the FedEx Cup Fall and to stay fresh ahead of the Ryder Cup. 

It might seem trivial, but rust was one of the biggest reasons why Team USA came out sluggishly in Rome in 2023. Most of the U.S. team members took a month off after the 2023 Tour Championship and played below their standard in Rome, leading to Team USA's 16.5-11.5 loss to Team Europe. 

Bradley isn't going to make the same mistake. The U.S. captain is in Napa with most of his team, monitoring his players' form and possible pairings for the 2025 Ryder Cup. On Tuesday, Collin Morikawa and Harris English played a practice round with vice captain Webb Simpson. Scottie Scheffler, Russell Henley and J.J. Spaun also played together, as did Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay.