The Round Table: One last Major to make or break a season

Each week we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

Last week, Keegan Bradley was selected as the U.S. captain for the Ryder Cup matches in 2025. He indicated that he wouldn’t make himself a Captain’s pick if that option presented itself, but he didn’t rule out playing if he qualified on points. What are your thoughts on Bradley as a player / captain if he does manage to qualify?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): I give Keegan credit for climbing back into a top 20 position in the World Rankings, when, as recently as two years ago, I would’ve said his best days were well behind him. Mind you, the defection of a bunch of better PGA stars to LIV has helped him achieve higher finishes, which helped lead to a higher ranking. In any case, I support his position: if he earns a spot on the team, jolly good. If he doesn’t, to pick himself as a player would be grossly unfair to those next on the list.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: I’ve never met Keegan, but he seems to be a good moral person. My guess is he only plays if he qualifies. Contrary to what is the norm now, it is the right thing to do.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): I think Bradley should take himself out of consideration to play on the team right now. Whether he qualifies or not. Focus on the duties of captain and the 12 guys he’s going to lead. Player-captains are not realistic. Sure, Arnold Palmer did it sixty years ago. But Keegan Bradley is not Arnold Palmer, and the Ryder Cup isn’t the same as it was then either.

The Open Championship kicks off Thursday at Royal Troon. According to most press reports, “Rory’s the story” as he seeks to avenge his loss at last month’s U.S. Open. There are a lot of other top ranked players that could also use a major win to turn around a season or make a good one into a great one. Think of Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm or Brooks Koepka. And there are others. Which player apart from Rory will be most disappointed if he doesn’t win a major this year?

Deeks: I would think Viktor Hovland would be most disappointed, although all the others would be, too. Hovland has hovered around the top of major leaderboards for three or four years now, and as a top-10 ranked player, he’s truly overdue for a major. (The only other top 10-ranked player who is major-less is Patrick Cantlay, but I don’t like his chances at Troon as much as Hovland’s.)

Schurman: Two players come to mind. Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau. If Woods doesn’t win, he gets closer to the inevitable end. At some point, he will realize he is just taking a spot. DeChambeau might feel he still has something to prove coming from LIV. Besides what could be more boring than only winning the US Open?

Mumford: Jon Rahm looked poised to pick up majors in bunches after his 2023 Masters victory, then he jumped to LIV Golf and virtually disappeared. Hard to see how he would regret a decision that paid him a few hundred million, but he needs a major to prove his career isn’t off the rails. At least, Rory is contending; Rahm has become The Invisible Man.

Who is your pick to win the Claret Jug on Sunday and which player might surprise us by being in contention or perhaps pulling off an upset?

Deeks: Well, since you asked, and since I just answered the previous question, I do think Hovland might be the horse to pick this week, despite a 46th place finish in the Scottish Open last weekend. And having made the decision over the weekend NOT to jump to LIV, he may well be playing stress-free for the first time in a while. Robert McIntyre also has to be considered, after two recent wins in the Canadian Open and the Scottish. Clearly, the laddie from Oban is hotter than a peat kiln.  And what a celebration there would be in Scotland if Robbie could pull it off… like Shane Lowry did at Portrush in 2019 to the delight of all of Ireland. That said, I’ll still be pulling for Rory to cast off the demons and raise the jug. And of course, for the four horsemen of the Canadian contingent!

Schurman: Aberg is an obvious choice and so is Rory but I’m more sentimental than that. I’d love to see Tommy Fleetwood with the jug. However, my pick is Cory Connors. He’s playing well and it is a ball striker’s course. My backup pick is John Rahm.

Mumford: The odds-makers have Scheffler (5-1) and McIlroy (8-1) as the favourites. They’re followed by Aberg, Schauffele, DeChambeau and Morikawa. I think the winner comes out of this grouping and McIlroy is my pick. Does he want it more? Or need it more? Hard to say if those emotions help or not. I’ve never believed that pros can just treat a major like any other tournament. Hopefully, Rory can forget all the baggage and quiet all the demons to get this 10-year-old monkey off his back. As for a surprise, Brian Harman didn’t look so happy giving the Claret Jug back to Martin Slumbers of the R&A. Maybe the Wee Lefty can do it again.