Report: European captain Luke Donald agrees to Ryder Cup rules change
According to a report by Telegraph Sport on Monday, Team Europe captain Luke Donald has agreed to extricate his counterpart Keegan Bradley from a potentially sticky situation.
It was assumed that when Bradley was named Team USA captain, he would serve in the traditional manner. However, the 39-year-old has all but assured himself a spot inside the ropes -- complete with clubs and caddie -- given his brilliant play in 2025.
However, the Ryder Cup rules state that only the captain is permitted to provide advice to players during the competition. Should Bradley be competing in a session, he would not be able to communicate with the squad.
But Donald agreed to change the rule to allow one of the American vice-captains to assume Bradley's advisory duties.
"Keegan can only change the overarching contract with Luke and Ryder Cup Europe's approval," a source told Telegraph Sport. "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."
The USA vice-captains are Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland. Furyk, the team captain in the 2018 European win in Paris, could be equipped to assume the role.
Bradley was the 2011 PGA Champion, then won only twice on the PGA Tour over the next 10-plus years. But he captured the BMW Championship during the 2024 FedEx Cup playoffs, then won his second Travelers Championship title in three years one month ago.
He stands 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings (the top six automatically qualify), but his World ranking has risen to No. 7. With other prominent American players like Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Speith slumping and the selections coming in four weeks, Bradley seems preparing to put himself on the team.
The last playing captain for Team USA in a Ryder Cup was Arnold Palmer in 1963.
The 2026 Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. from Sept. 26-28. Team Europe is attempting to become the first away side to win (or retain) the cup in 13 years. They rallied for a 14.5-13.5 win at Medinah (Ill.) in 2012.
--Field Level Media
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
About 100 players, two dozen club employees face fines for selling Super Bowl tickets
NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - About 100 NFL players and two dozen employees from several teams face fines for selling this year's Super Bowl tickets for more than face value, a source told Reuters on Friday, activity that violated a long-standing league policy. Players will be fined 1.5 times the face value of the ticket they sold while club employees will be fined twice the amount. ESPN first broke the news on the fines. League and team employees, including players, are prohibited from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than face value or more than they paid. NFL players have an opportunity to buy two Super Bowl tickets at face value. None of the individuals involved or their teams were identified. In the 2025 contest, when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, the most expensive tickets at the New Orleans' Superdome had a face value of about $7,500 and were priced as high as $56,770 on the resale market . In a memo seen by Reuters, the league's head of compliance told clubs the department was in the process of concluding its investigation into the matter. "The investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of 'bundlers' who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value," the document read. "Those that worked to 'bundle' the tickets, or otherwise had a greater role, will face increased penalties." The NFL will enhance its mandatory compliance training ahead of the Super Bowl in 2026, which will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, according to the memo. Super Bowl tickets are among the most coveted in all of North American professional sport, with fans routinely shelling out thousands of dollars to attend the NFL's championship game that is watched religiously by millions across the U.S.
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times
ZURICH, July 25 (Reuters) - Sarina Wiegman sang a celebratory song in her native Dutch when England clinched a spot in the Euro 2025 final. She attempted to high-five assistant Darren Ward, but missed. She admitted she planned to treat herself with a "glass of something nice." If England's women's coach was reserved when hired in 2021, she said she has grown into the role, and her passion has been on full display at the Euros, particularly through two nail-biting knockout victories in which the Lionesses were on the brink of elimination. "First of all, my English has improved, so I understand a lot more, but also you learn more about people you work with," she said on Friday. "You learn more again about yourself and while I'm always working on developing the team, I always try to keep developing myself. "What I really wanted to do over all these years is try to enjoy it a little bit more, you have to be focused in this job, but you need to celebrate the moments that are good, it's really nice." As England get ready to contest their third successive major final on Sunday, when they face world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 showpiece, Wiegman's players have described her as a second mum -- direct and demanding but caring and supportive. Ella Toone said the coach has been kind-hearted in the midfielder's first major tournament after the death of her father. Aggie Beever-Jones said after England's loss to France in their Euro opener, Wiegman put a consolatory arm around her and explained her reasons for not playing her in the game. Midfielder Keira Walsh called her "one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved". "It's a really difficult job when you're in a tournament, and obviously people want to play, people aren't, but she really, really cares about the human side," Walsh said. "Another thing that you notice when you play for her is how calm she is. It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she's very calm." Wiegman said the job can be a difficult balance. "I'm a caring person, so maybe that's the part, I care about them but at the same time I'm the coach, I'm making these hard decisions at the moment," she said. On Sunday, Wiegman will become the first person, in men's or women's soccer, to have coached teams in five consecutive major tournament finals. The 55-year-old, who is under contract through the 2027 World Cup, guided her native Netherlands to two finals before continuing that run with Euro 2022 champions England. Football Association executive Mark Bullingham said they will not let Wiegman leave for any amount of money, and Wiegman certainly does not sound like she is going anywhere. "I'm sorry, I'm still learning English but yes I have (fallen in love) with England," Wiegman said. "Otherwise I would not be sitting here with such a smile on my face. "This team has always shown so much resilience, I see that in abundance and I see that entirely through the prism of the Lionesses. They are absolutely the most resilient of people. They really want to work so hard and are so committed."
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Rory McIlroy caught in wild booze-fueled partying in Saint-Tropez as he brags to fans about Masters victory
Rory McIlroy appears to be soaking up some well-deserved time off after he was spotted swapping the links for the French Riviera in some booze-fueled partying this week. While the Northern Irishman failed to best Scottie Scheffler at The Open on his home turf last week, McIlroy did manage to finally seal the career Grand Slam with a long-awaited triumph at The Masters earlier this year. And it appears that the 35-year-old is still in party mode as he was caught enjoying some boozy celebrations one week on from the final major championship of the year. With major season behind him, McIlroy was caught letting loose at a Saint-Tropez beach club, according to a TikTok video shared by a fan. And the five-time major winner couldn't resist a humble brag when the fan decided to ask him, 'Where's the Green Jacket?' The fan first attempted to shout to McIlroy over the loud thumping music before typing out his question to the golfer on his phone. McIlroy immediately lit up when he spotted the message, pointing to the supporter and letting out a laugh. The PGA Tour star, who clutched a glass of white wine in his hand, pried himself away from the dancefloor and made his way over to the fan. McIlroy, who cut a relaxed figure in a black button-down shirt, swim trunks and a backwards white cap, then claimed his Green Jacket was 'on the yacht' before sharing a laugh with the fan. The golfer then returned to his partying as he was captured bouncing up and down and waving his arm to the beat. Champions of The Masters receive a coveted Green Jacket, however the prestigious prize must be returned to Augusta National Golf Club 12 months after their triumph where it is kept in the clubhouse until their yearly return for the major championship. McIlroy appeared to be partying with some friends as he was seen with his arm wrapped around a man's shoulders. However, there was no sign of wife Erica Stoll in the clip and it is unclear if she and their daughter Poppy have joined McIlroy in the South of France. McIlroy was overcome with emotion in April after he finally won The Masters in a dramatic playoff against Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose. He finally slayed his demons at Augusta National to complete the career Grand Slam after 11 torturous years of trying. Following a turbulent year off the course, he emerged from a chaotic final round of the 2025 Masters a champion and the Irishman toasted the long-awaited end to his Masters drought with Erica, 37, and Poppy. However, he has failed to come close at any of the remaining majors this year. He finished tied-47th at the PGA Championship in May and tied-19th at the US Open last month, sparking concerns about his struggles. He failed to chase down his current biggest rival Scottie Scheffler at The Open last week, managing to just finish in the top 10 in a share of seventh.
