Ryder Cup 2025: Jim 'Bones' Mackay hopes the captains will 'buck tradition' and do this at Bethpage Black
Alex Slitz
The Ryder Cup is one of golf's most storied competitions, with the 2025 version arguably the most highly anticipated event in the game's history. But one longtime caddie turned broadcaster thinks there's a way to "buck tradition" to make it even better.
Jim "Bones" Mackay is as familiar with the biennial event as anyone, having caddied in it a dozen times and now covering the competition for NBC Sports. However, the on-course reporter relayed one way he felt the excitement could ratchet up another notch at Bethpage Black.
It involves the American and European teams' respective biggest stars, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and reigning Masters champ Rory McIlroy. And a potential gentlemen's agreement between their two captains.
"I would love if things look really close as we head into Sunday, if the two captains, Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald, who are close friends, could find 60 seconds for themselves and for the good of the game, maybe find a way to see that Rory and Scottie play each other in singles on Sunday," Mackay said on an NBC sports conference call on Wednesday. "I think at a close Ryder Cup that would basically bring the house down in terms of the excitement that everyone sees around the play there on Sunday, and of course, a close competition. But I think it would be really cool if they could find a way and buck tradition and see that those guys play each other."
Golf fans would find that really cool as well. The problem is that the Ryder Cup has always used a blind draw to determine the Sundays singles matches. Each captain puts out his own order for his 12 golfers to play. So for Scottie and Rory to play against each other, Keegan and Luke would have to both put them out in the same spot. Barring some sort of secret, wink-wink agreement as Mackay alludes.
Richard Heathcote
This is not the case at the Presidents Cup, where the captains alternate putting out players for Sunday singles. And Mackay was asked a follow-up question about that a few minutes later.
"While I’m saying that the Ryder Cup is my favorite sporting event in the world, I think there’s something to be learned from the way they do it at the Presidents Cup in terms of how the teams ultimately present their lineups," Mackay said. "And yeah, I think it would be amazing, as I said, if we have a very competitive Ryder Cup heading into Sunday, which I anticipate will be the case, that one of them sends a text to the other or they just have a gentlemen’s agreement to at least, insofar as Rory and Scottie are concerned, put them out against each other. I think the fans deserve it. I think everybody, the millions at home watching it on NBC, deserves it. I just think it would be an amazing thing to witness."
No arguments here, Jim. And Mackay didn't hide that he'd personally like to witness it as part of his job as well.
"You know, I’d definitely take that assignment if Tommy gave it to me," Mackay added with a laugh. "They can yell at me all they want as long as I get to be on that first tee."