Keegan Bradley’s appointment as Team USA Ryder Cup captain means more to his family than just golf. On the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, his father, Mark Bradley, shared a story that gives the role a deeper connection to New York.Soon after the tragedy in 2001, a young Keegan and his sister Madison raised $649 at their local golf course. They brought the donation, along with a gallon of maple syrup, to FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, a Manhattan firehouse that had lost all 16 of its firefighters. During an interview on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, Mark Bradley said (0:19 onwards):“There is a picture and we cannot find it. It's Keegan and Madison standing there with all these firemen in front of the firehouse with the check and the gallon of maple syrup. And we have a picture of them standing in front of the firehouse, but not the one with the firemen. We're still looking at it.""I look back and it was a learning moment for our children and, you know, us as a family. And for him to turn out to be the United States captain, going back to New York, it is a pretty cool story, so very proud,” he added.Keegan Bradley was named U.S. Ryder Cup captain in August and will lead the team at Bethpage Black in 2025. Despite speculation, he confirmed that he will not select himself to play, ending any chance of becoming the first U.S. playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963."I grew up wanting to play Ryder Cups. I wanted to fight alongside these guys. It broke my heart not to play, it really did. But I was chosen to be the captain of this team... my ultimate goal is to be the best captain I can be."Keegan Bradley has chosen Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Cameron Young, and Ben Griffin as captain’s picks. They join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English, and Bryson DeChambeau.Keegan Bradley uses Procore Championship for early bondingWith the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black just two weeks away, Keegan Bradley has turned this week’s Procore Championship into a mini-camp for Team USA. Ten of the twelve American players entered the event, giving the captain a chance to watch them compete together without the pressure of match play. Bradley said the week has a different feel from past Ryder Cups.“This group of players, they’re truly friends and they’re friends off the golf course, which in my teams that I played before this, I don’t know if we exactly had that as much as this group does,” he explained via ESPN.The turnout wasn’t a coincidence. Bradley encouraged players to add the event after only two Americans teed it up here ahead of the 2023 loss. Even World No.1 Scottie Scheffler made room on his schedule.Keegan Bradley and his assistant captains have rented a house near the course, hosting a team dinner that included LIV’s Bryson DeChambeau. On Tuesday, September 9, players tested pairings during a nine-hole practice round.Collin Morikawa and Harris English teamed up, while Scheffler joined Russell Henley and J.J. Spaun. Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, and Cameron Young followed behind. Ben Griffin joined assistant captain Brandt Snedeker.The captain said those sessions are helping him finalize foursome and four-ball pairings.“One of our goals was to have the guys prepared, ready to know who they’re playing with. Especially in alternate shot, I think that’s more important. We’re 90% there, I’d say,” Keegan Bradley noted.Bradley added that captaining without worrying about his own game has been a welcome change.“It’s really fun for me to be the captain in front of the guys and not be playing...I was chosen to do this job, to do it maybe a little differently as well,” he said.Keegan Bradley is using a regular Tour stop for team preparations to give the U.S. side an early edge. He hopes it will help before the European side arrives in New York for the September 23–28 showdown.