It’s a new era for Team USA, and Keegan Bradley is making it clear: no more slow starts, no more head-scratching pairings, and definitely no more blowouts on European soil.
Bradley is stepping into his first Ryder Cup as captain with one mission — end Europe’s 30-year home winning streak. But this time, it won’t just be about pep talks and locker room fire. The key difference? Pairings. And Bradley is wasting no time dialing them in.
At the Procore Championship in Napa, with 10 of the 12 U.S. Ryder Cup players in the field, all eyes were on the practice rounds — and one pairing immediately stood out: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler playing alongside J.J. Spaun.
It’s not just a “tryout” — it might be the duo Bradley rides into battle with at Bethpage Black.
Why Scheffler and Spaun Make Sense
Scheffler, who’s been in nuclear form all year, leads the Tour in strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained on approach. The guy is a machine tee-to-green. And Spaun is quietly one of the most consistent, composed players on Tour this season, and the 2025 U.S. Open champ at Oakmont, no less.
Spaun’s calm under pressure, deadly with a long iron, and gritty on the greens — all the stuff that makes a perfect Ryder Cup partner for a high-octane superstar like Scheffler.
“It’s not about putting your two best players together. It’s about chemistry, trust, and making each other better,” Bradley said earlier this year. And he’s walking that talk.
Let’s not forget what went wrong last time. Zach Johnson’s decision to throw four rookie pairings into the fire on Friday morning in Rome backfired, leading to a brutal 4-0 hole that the U.S. never escaped. Bradley’s determined to avoid that fate — and his prep looks more like Paul Azinger’s masterclass in 2008 than anything we’ve seen since.
No surprise, then, that Bradley has been laser-focused on testing combos in real time, months ahead of Bethpage.
Spaun and Scheffler might not have the flash of a JT-Jordan or DJ-Morikawa duo, but make no mistake — this pairing has the kind of stats, temperament, and trajectory that could do real damage in foursomes and fourballs alike.
The math adds up. The mentality fits. And most of all, it looks like Bradley’s finally found a pairing that can go toe-to-toe with Europe’s best and not blink.
Europe has had a stranglehold on home soil for decades.
Bradley and his new duo might just be the start of a serious American answer.
