Ryder Cup on U.S. players’ minds in thick of major season

FLOURTOWN, Pa. -- The Truist Championship is a big event in its own right, a signature event with a $20 million purse. It also serves as most stars' final prep for the PGA Championship, as the majors start coming fast and furious.

This year, the Truist (previously the Wells Fargo Championship) served another purpose, as U.S. captain Keegan Bradley gathered several prospective players for dinner early in the week.

It was the first formal gathering of the current Ryder Cup cycle for the Americans -- and even LIV Golf members Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka were invited, according to a Golf Channel report.

"Listen, we've been talking to the boys over a year now. But this was fun to get everyone together under one roof and talk," Bradley said after his round Saturday at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. "We called it a dinner, but it was really sort of a get-together. And everyone came, and the caddies were there, and the wives were there, and it was excellent."

Bradley had just stepped out of the scoring tent to chants of "U-S-A!" He's also hearing "Cap," short for captain, pretty much everywhere he goes.

The Vermont native has become a fan favorite, especially after the Netflix series "Full Swing" documented how he was left off the 2023 Ryder Cup team.

"I get this every week, and I did not expect this," Bradley said. "I did not expect to go to gas stations and people yelling at me, go to restaurants, people buying me dinner and desserts and drinks. ... It's been a bonus, but it's really special."

Bradley demurred when asked if he may name himself to the team as a playing captain.

"I don't know. I got to play better than what I'm doing right now," he said.

Entering the Truist Championship, the top six players in the U.S. Ryder Cup qualification standings were Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, DeChambeau, Russell Henley and Justin Thomas. The top six will qualify and Bradley will select six more as captain's picks.

Koepka was a captain's pick for the 2023 team that lost to Team Europe in Rome. DeChambeau did not make the team but has since won his second major, the 2024 U.S. Open.

The Ryder Cup will be played in September at Bethpage Black on Long Island, which should suit Bradley just fine. The New Englander played college golf at St. John's and has enjoyed much of his professional success in the Northeast.

That includes the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink, not far from the Philadelphia Cricket Club, and the 2023 Travelers Championship in Connecticut. Aronimink will host next year's PGA Championship.

Bradley said if it were up to him, the PGA Tour would have an annual Northeast swing.

"I think if you talk to every PGA Tour player would say that, top to bottom, we wish we could play more in the Northeast," Bradley said.

Billy Horschel underwent surgery on his hip this month, which will make him a long shot to make the American team.

The PGA of America isn't waiting for its turn in the spotlight. It announced it's giving out 3,000 free Ryder Cup tickets to unsuspecting golf fans at Bethpage Black and other public golf courses around the New York metro area.

--Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media