logo
Europe changes rules to allow Keegan Bradley to be USA player-captain at Ryder Cup

Europe changes rules to allow Keegan Bradley to be USA player-captain at Ryder Cup

Telegraph4 days ago
Keegan Bradley looks certain to become the first player-captain in the Ryder Cup for more than 60 years after opposite number Luke Donald agreed to a crucial rule change.
One of Bradley's biggest concerns about performing the dual role in New York in September was that it could have put his team at a disadvantage when it came to on-course advice being handed out.
The 'captains' agreement' previously stated that only the skipper can talk to players when a match is under way, communication which can be vital, for example, when telling the pros on par threes which club their team-mates have earlier taken.
Of course, the contact can also be useful for motivational purposes. And under the existing agreement, the Americans could be denied this assistance if Bradley was, himself, playing.
Yet Telegraph Sport has discovered that Bradley, 39, went to Donald to ask him to insert a clause into the 'rarely-changed' agreement that will allow him to designate one vice-captain who can act as the de facto captain if and when Bradley is playing in a particular session.
'Keegan can only change the overarching contract with Luke and Ryder Cup Europe's approval,' a source said. 'The contract between the teams includes things like how many vice-captains a team can have etc. That is used year on year and captains rarely change that. But Keegan went to Luke with this clause and Luke generously agreed. We don't want any bad blood between the camps.'
A cynical viewpoint will be that Team Europe is not averse to Bradley emulating Arnold Palmer from 1963 because they believe the job share will not work and might cause more problems than good. At the Scottish Open two weeks ago, Rory McIlroy strongly suggested this could be the case at Bethpage Black, where Europe will attempt to become the first away side to prevail on foreign soil in 13 years and just the second in 21 years.
'It really feels like it's a player-led team in America, and obviously we have our input as players on the Europe team but we do have that one figurehead in Luke,' he said. 'I think that's important. I think even going back to Rome, when the Americans got off to a pretty rough start, I think because Zach [Johnson, the 2023 US captain] gave the team so much ownership, they had no one to look to.
'They were looking at each other instead of having a focal point – 'tell us what to do'. That is something that Europe have done very, very well. But also the players have allowed the captain to be a captain as well.'
It must be presumed that Jim Furyk, who was the America captain in their 2018 defeat in Paris, will step up into the temporary role. After finishing tied 30th in the Open at Royal Portrush on Sunday, Bradley is 10th in the US Ryder Cup standings, with the top six qualifying automatically in four weeks' time. But he is seventh in the world rankings and is clearly among the best US players.
A number of USA's key players are struggling for form
Bradley has already indicated that he will pick himself 'if it helps the team' and despite the country's fine showing at Royal Portrush - they had the top three, with Scottie Scheffler winning and Harris English and Chris Gotterup filling the other spots on the podium - his playing credentials only solidified. Patrick Cantlay, 14th on the standings, is woefully out of form, and Jordan Spieth is down in 26th place.
Too many of his experienced performers are struggling. World No 6 Collin Morikawa missed cuts at both the Scottish Open and the Open and Bradley will be desperate for a resurgence in the first two FedEx Cup events before qualification ends on Aug 17. There are some fine debutants ready to do battle in JJ Spaun, Russell Henley and Ben Griffin, but Bradley will have his limit on first-timers.
One player who will definitely be in Bradley's ranks is LIV rebel Bryson DeChambeau, regardless if he drops out of the leading half dozen. He was tied 10th at Portrush, following a final-round 64 and Bradley broke convention by giving the big-hitter the nod.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ruben Amorim says Manchester United will not let players go cheaply
Ruben Amorim says Manchester United will not let players go cheaply

The Independent

time26 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Ruben Amorim says Manchester United will not let players go cheaply

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim insists the club will not sell unwanted players on the cheap and he is prepared to welcome them back into the fold if necessary. Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia were left out of the tour of the United States – Marcus Rashford subsequently went on loan to Barcelona – and the so-called 'bomb squad' have been training at the club's Carrington complex. United's transfer dealings have been widely criticised in recent seasons and Amorim said chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox would not be taken advantage of just to get rid of those surplus to requirements. 'Some players have to find a new place to have more space in the team and others clearly show they want a new challenge and want new teams,' Amorim told a press conference ahead of the the Premier League Summer Series game against West Ham on Saturday. 'We are just allowing these players to have time to think and to decide. If we reach a point where they have to join the team, they will join the team because they are our players. 'I know for a fact that these people, Omar and Jason, and the club have a number (price) for these players. If they don't reach that, they will be Manchester United players, no doubt about that. 'I understand clubs are maybe waiting for the last minute, but they can have a surprise and I'm ready. I'm ready to receive the players. 'They have more competition – if you want to play in the World Cup you need to play, so I'm really happy with that because I have more options. If they have to fight each other to play, for me it is perfect.' United have spent about £130million on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon but are still in the market for a defensive midfielder and a striker. However, previous mis-steps on transfers mean United are being more circumspect this summer. 'At the moment, our club needs to be really careful when we sign a player,' added Amorim. 'So if we have to start the season with this squad, I'm happy because all the players that are here want to be here – and that for me is the most important thing.'

Emma Raducanu beats Maria Sakkari and the heat to reach Washington last four
Emma Raducanu beats Maria Sakkari and the heat to reach Washington last four

The Guardian

time27 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Emma Raducanu beats Maria Sakkari and the heat to reach Washington last four

Emma Raducanu booked her place in the semi-finals of the Washington Open for the first time with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Greece's Maria Sakkari on a day where both players had to battle high temperatures. After losing the opening game, Raducanu dropped serve but managed to break straight back. Raducanu broke again to make it 4-3 courtesy of a scuffed drop-volley by Sakkari, who fought back once more following another double fault by the Briton. After getting her nose in front again, Raducanu held serve to take the opening set. The 22-year-old was looking to continue her impressive streak over the Greek player on her 30th birthday but Sakkari, who beat Katie Boulter earlier in the tournament, took a 4-2 lead in the second set. Temperatures of up to 36C took their toll as a physio was called on to the court to check on Raducanu. However, the break in play reinvigorated the 2021 US Open winner and she won five successive games to book her slot in the final four in two hours and 10 minutes. 'My confidence has been building since Miami,' said Raducanu. 'The amount of work I'm doing behind the scenes, to have that in the locker and banked; you know you've done it, it takes a little pressure off the results. 'I'm really pleased today, Maria played a really good match and I think these conditions suit the jumpiness of her game. I'm really happy that I toughed it out.' Raducanu will face either Clara Tauson or Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the final.

Spain's Bonmati keen to add Euro crown to glittering medal haul
Spain's Bonmati keen to add Euro crown to glittering medal haul

Reuters

time27 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Spain's Bonmati keen to add Euro crown to glittering medal haul

LAUSANNE, Switzerland July 25 (Reuters) - Aitana Bonmati is hoping to add another piece of silverware to her bulging trophy cabinet when Spain play their first Women's Euro final, taking on holders England in Basel on Sunday. The 27-year-old playmaker has won six league titles and three Champions League crowns with Barcelona and taken home the Ballon d-Or Feminin in 2023 and 2024, as well as a World Cup and Nations League title with Spain. "It would close the circle a little bit -- this, together with the Olympic Games," she told reporters at the team's base in Lausanne on Friday. "We want to add the only tournaments that we are missing. For me personally, it would be very nice in the future to have the memory of having won the great tournaments at the highest level in football." Spain's best finish to date in the Euros came in 1997 when they came third, and their only appearance in the Olympic tournament led to an agonising fourth-place finish at the Paris Games in 2024, where they lost the bronze-medal match to Germany. Sunday's final -- a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final -- promises to be a tight affair, with six of the last seven games between the two sides decided by a single goal and the seventh a scoreless draw. "The game on Sunday is unique, very one-on-one, where things are decided by the smallest margins. Anything can happen, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable you are," Bonmati explained. "They have it too, they have lived through many finals. It is going to be a very equal match in that respect." Bonmati and her teammates are very conscious of where the game will be won and lost. "When we talk about our game, we talk about a possession game, and we, in the vast majority of games, have had possession. So if we don't have it, something bad will happen, so I hope we have it more than England," she said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store