PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – The Open Championship is the final chance this year for American players to earn a higher percentage of Ryder Cup points.
And the captain is poised to take advantage.
For the first time since 2018, Keegan Bradley will play the weekend at The Open after a bogey-free 67 in ideal conditions Friday at Royal Portrush. He was at 3-under 139, five shots off the clubhouse lead.
It was fortuitous timing for a player who might soon become the first U.S. playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Bradley is up to No. 9 in the team standings, his candidacy getting a significant boost after his victory last month at the Travelers Championship, a signature event on Tour.
Bradley didn’t figure to get much of a lift from his week at The Open; in 11 tries, he has never been better than 15th in the year’s final major. And before Friday’s 67, he had gone 17 consecutive rounds without a score in the 60s. But Bradley said that he’s a more well-rounded player than he’s been at any point in his career, particularly around the greens, and that is already starting to pay off at Portrush.
“I have to keep going,” he said. “I really need to play well at this event and then in the playoffs.”
Bradley was also quick to point out that there’s still a chance for “extreme movement” over the next month and a half, since the six automatic spots are finalized on Aug. 17 and the six wildcard selections are made following the Tour Championship. The Open awards 1 ½ points for every $1,000 earned – up from the usual one point – and the three FedExCup playoff events all feature $20 million-plus purses.
The halfway leaderboard at Portrush shows just how much volatility is possible.
Brian Harman, the 2023 Open champion who was a late addition to the squad that lost in Rome, has once again put himself in position through two rounds, posting 65 to lead at 8 under. He was No. 12 on the list. Another team contender, Harris English, a member of the 2021 U.S. squad, is No. 10 in the standings and among the chasing pack at Portrush.
“I’m happy that some Americans are up at the top of the leaderboard,” Bradley said. “It’s really such a different experience for me to look at a leaderboard now because I look up there and I’m like, Brian is playing good, and that’s awesome; or Harris is playing (well). I really feel excited about it, which is really fun.”
Bradley said the only time he tunes out the Ryder Cup distraction is while he’s inside the ropes. And when he finishes his round, he’s jumping back into the text thread with his vice captains – what’s the latest, what the guys are hearing, who’s trending well.
Even if the conversation sometimes turns to his own play.
“I’m going to look at myself as just another player,” he said. “It’s tough for me, but we have to look at every single possibility, just like we’d look at any other player in my position. Anybody in the top 12 or top 15 or top 20 – you want to look at the player that’s playing the best.
“We’ve still got two months left before the Ryder Cup, and if I continue my play, then we’ll talk about this. But you never know how this golf thing is.”
