Ryder Cup
Keegan Bradley names Gary Woodland vice captain for U.S. Ryder Cup team
David Cannon
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley named Gary Woodland his fifth and final vice captain for the American squad on Wednesday.
Woodland joins previously appointed Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker as vice captain at Bethpage Black.
"I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for Gary and all he has accomplished in this game," said Bradley. "As a major champion and someone who is still competing at a high level, he is well aware of the demands of performing on golf’s biggest stages. He will be a valuable leader for us over the coming months and throughout the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black."
Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, has never been a part of a U.S. Ryder Cup team in any capacity. He did however play for the 2019 U.S. Presidents Cup team at Royal Melbourne, where he went 1-2-1 on Tiger Woods' team in a U.S. victory over the International side.
For anyone thinking five vice captains is a lot, the move is hardly an unprecedented one. Each of the last two American captains, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker, had five vice captains each. Current European captain Luke Donald had five vice captains in Rome in 2023, too. 2018 European team captain Thomas Bjorn also selected five, among them Donald.
Woodland, 41, should be a popular presence among his peers and fans alike. The four-time PGA Tour winner went through a serious health scare in 2023, one that required a lengthy brain surgery in the fall of that year. Nearly two years later, Woodland still deals with issues from that surgery on the course. This past February, he was awarded the PGA Tour Courage Award.
"I am extremely excited and grateful to Keegan for the opportunity to support the U.S. team," said Woodland. "Keegan’s passion for this event is contagious and I am thrilled to be a part of it."