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PGA veteran with eight wins on Tour believed he’d make Ryder Cup team before injury struck

Originally posted on HITC | By Charlie Walker | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 10:43 AM ET

Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup selections did not cause much of a stir. In the end, the choices felt fairly straightforward, despite the outcome at Bethpage Black.

The questions kept coming right up until the announcement. Would Bradley pick himself as a playing captain? In the end, he left himself out, later admitting that juggling both roles would have been too much.

Bradley’s selections were picked apart as expected. Some questioned Collin Morikawa’s inclusion based on recent form, while others felt Maverick McNealy had done enough to earn a spot. But there was no clear selection error that explained why Team USA struggled at Bethpage Black.

That was partly because few outside the top 12 really forced their way into the conversation. Jordan Spieth had four top-10 finishes but never truly challenged for a win, while LIV Golf’s Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed failed to put together compelling seasons.

One player who had hopes of making the squad was an eight-time PGA Tour winner whose plans were derailed by injury long before he got close to contention.

Billy Horschel felt 2025 could have been his breakout year

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Billy Horschel’s last PGA Tour appearance before the Ryder Cup was at the 2025 RBC Heritage. Not long after, he had right hip surgery, which sidelined him for three majors and the Ryder Cup – an event he had been targeting from the start of the season.

Horschel, who is 38, believed that 2025 could have been his year to finally win a major.

Speaking ahead of an APGA event at Concession Golf Club, he said: “I felt this was going to be the year I get over the hump and make the Ryder Cup team, win a major, check some things off of my career goals.

“And I wasn’t playing bad but look back and swing-wise, it was a little bit of a struggle and I didn’t know why. And the Monday after Hilton Head I woke up with a sudden pain in my hip that I had never felt before.”

“I think we need to take more ownership of our team.”

Billy Horschel shares his thoughts on the U.S. Ryder Cup loss. @damonhackGC @eamonlynch pic.twitter.com/eINe0lxsms
— Golf Today (@GCGolfToday) October 22, 2025

Whether or not his hip was already an issue earlier in the season, Horschel’s results had not put him in contention for a Ryder Cup spot. He missed five cuts during that period, including at The Masters, and managed only two top-10s across his starts.

But once he recovered from surgery and returned to play after Bethpage Black, there were some early signs that things might be turning around.

Bank of Utah Championship: Billy Horschel’s performance

Horschel returned to the PGA Tour at the Bank of Utah Championship, his first event following the Ryder Cup.

After an opening round 72, he responded with three consecutive rounds of 66 to finish at 14-under par, securing a T11 finish.

His play in Utah was a clear improvement from his comeback appearance at Wentworth’s BMW Championship, where he missed the cut.

But there were signs of progress in Utah. And as he moves closer to his 40th birthday, Horschel can take some optimism from his performance that a return to form might still be within reach.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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