Zach Johnson’s heart was beating fast again.
“I was getting ready to deliver a bomb,” he said of news that would shock the golf world.
Less than one year ago, as U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, Johnson had to break the bad news to Keegan Bradley that Johnson was “going in a different direction” and Bradley wouldn’t be a member of the 12-man team to represent Team USA in Rome. Johnson didn’t use one of his captain’s picks on Bradley and chose Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, who finished below Bradley in points.
As Netflix’s “Full Swing 2” showed, Johnson took a deep breath before making his difficult call to Bradley and said, “I do not envy this part of the job.” (Interesting side note: Johnson said he has yet to watch Full Swing 2.)
This time, Johnson got to deliver the good news – the Ryder Cup Committee had selected Bradley to be the captain of the 2025 U.S. team.
“The last time I called you on the phone was one of the more difficult phone calls I’ve ever had,” Johnson recalled as his first words to Bradley on June 23.
“Keegan wasn’t the only one I had to call, you know, and Keegan, to no one’s surprise, specifically mine, was nothing but pure respect and class. I’ve been on that side of the call. It’s awful. It’s hard. But Keegan’s true character came out right there,” Johnson said. “But then I said, ‘I appreciate how you handled that phone call more than you know, because we’re friends.’ And he said, ‘Zach, you don’t have to say that, you know I’ve got your back.’ He’s being serious; he’s being genuine. I said, ‘Just know that this is one of the most honor-packed, joyous phone calls I could ever make.’”
His fondest memory of informing Bradley that the committee, which included Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, had picked him for the role was the response of Bradley’s wife.
“I could hear Jillian in the background in a high-pitched voice go, ‘Whaaat?’” Johnson said.
Speaking at his press conference announcing his role, Bradley said he had just driven home with his family from the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, on June 23 when Johnson, and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and President John Lindert called.
Bradley shared that Waugh told him: “You know, your number was called, it’s time for you to step up.”
“When he told me that, I sort of, it sort of hit me, you know, that this is a heavy job and this is a group of people that trusted me in this, and it’s time to step up to the plate and be the captain of this team,” Bradley said.
At age 39 when the biennial matches are held at Bethpage Black in September 2025, Bradley will be the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer served as a playing captain at age 34 in 1963. Bradley, who is currently No. 21 in the world, had been a two-time winner on the Tour last season and finished 11th in the Ryder Cup points standings. Johnson said he brought up the possibility of Bradley doing double duty.
“One of the first things we talked about after we asked Keegan to be the captain was, and I was adamant, I said, ‘We believe that you can make his team like, fully, I believe that you can go out and make his team; You can be the first guy on the list,” Johnson said. “And we voiced that. But we also have the ability for personnel and people to surround him where that can be feasible.”
Johnson said his input was valued by the Ryder Cup Committee in the selection process but he tried to take a backseat until called upon.
“I’m on the committee, but I shut up. I really let Jordan and Justin because they’re, I’d say Ryder Cup contemporaries,” Johnson said. “And then some of the PGA executives. It’s their tournament. They have been nothing but gracious in allowing the players to have a voice. The discussion (about the captaincy) happened organically and that’s how it evolves.”
Johnson appreciated the PGA’s gesture to allow him to be the one to let Bradley know that the job of U.S. Ryder Cup Captain belonged to him for 2025.
“It’s one of those phone calls,” Johnson said, “like, I’ve had a lot of phone calls, but I’m not going to forget this one.”