Keegan Bradley brings Ryder Cup squad together with early tournament tune-up at Silverado
Captain’s decision to have 10 U.S. players compete at the Procore Championship is intended to prevent the rust that hampered the Americans in 2023
Keegan Bradley organized an early training camp for his U.S. Ryder Cup team this week by having 10 of his players participate in the Procore Championship at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif., a move designed to give them competitive reps and build cohesion ahead of the matches.
The effort mirrors the preseason "buy-in" concept used in other sports, providing players with tournament conditions and shared preparation time. The approach clearly responds to shortcomings at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, when only two of the 12 U.S. players had competed in a tournament beforehand, and the Americans lost the opening session, 4-0, later trailing 6½-1½ after the first day.
Bradley’s plan gave a majority of his roster live competition at Silverado, allowing players to test form, timing and on-course routines under pressure while spending time together off the course. The European side in 2023 entered the matches with momentum: 11 of 12 European players had competed in at least one tournament prior to the Ryder Cup, a factor analysts and team officials cited afterward as one contributor to the Americans’ slow start.
The Procore Championship installment at Silverado functioned as both a competitive outing and a bonding exercise. Having multiple team members in the field enabled informal pairing discussions, on-course observations and a shared environment for working on short-game and match-play strategies. Bradley’s approach emphasizes collective preparation rather than expecting individual players to arrive tournament-ready without shared practice time.
Tournament tune-ups have long been a point of emphasis in Ryder Cup strategy because match play and team formats can demand different shot selections and psychological approaches than standard stroke-play events. Captains and coaches typically weigh the benefits of rest and practice against the advantages of competitive rhythm, and Bradley’s decision signals a preference for the latter for this U.S. squad.
How much impact the Silverado week will have on the Americans’ Ryder Cup performance will be measured when the matches begin. The training-camp model is intended to reduce the likelihood of a slow start similar to the U.S. showing in Rome, where early-session struggles placed the team on the back foot. Bradley’s early buy-in provides immediate competitive preparation and creates opportunities for teammates to establish rapport in a tournament setting, elements team officials say are important in match-play competitions.
The U.S. selections who took part at Silverado returned to their regular tour schedules after the Procore event, carrying competitive experience and time spent together into the final weeks before the Ryder Cup. Observers will watch whether the early, collective preparation translates into sharper early-session results and greater cohesion once the team convenes for match play.