US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley warned not to make ‘worst decision ever'

Telegraph

15 hours ago

Sam Torrance has told Keegan Bradley he will make 'the worst decision ever as a Ryder Cup captain' if he names himself as a wild card next week.
If United States captain Bradley did not feel under the microscope enough, as the hours count down to what is sure to be a contentious choice, then Torrance piled on the pressure on Tuesday.
Forty years ago here at the Belfry, America were defeated in the biennial dust-up for the first time in 28 years. That European victory paved the way for decades of previously unthinkable blue-and-gold domination.
To recognise that anniversary, Torrance played alongside Ian Woosnam in a five-hole exhibition against Sir Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle.
It was all smiles on the Brabazon, but the old-timers soon became serious in the media centre. Torrance supplied the killer quote – just as he applied the winning putt in 1985 – then Faldo and Woosnam also made their feelings clear.
'It's the impossible job to do both,' Faldo, Europe's 2008 captain, said. 'There's so much attention needed. The fans will call him selfish for picking himself. Goodness knows what the media will say. You could regret it for the rest of your life. Look, you've got enough going on trying to win your match. We hope Bradley does... we hope he stays as captain and does two roles!'
Woosnam, the 2006 captain, concurred, but minus the dry humour. 'It's pretty much impossible to be a player and to captain the team,' he said. 'You've got to get your team in before noon for the second set of matches. If he's on the golf course still playing, he won't be able to do that. Well, he will. But not [with] all the information he needs.'
For Torrance it is 'the ultimate no-brainer'. 'I don't think he can do it or should do it,' the Scot, who led the 2002 team to glory, said. 'He is so high up on the world rankings. The proper thing is to play and give the captaincy to Jim Furyk or somebody.'
Bradley, however, has shown no signs of relinquishing the hot seat. It is surely too late now, with the match in New York but five weeks away.
The 39-year-old will be the second youngest captain after Arnold Palmer, who was also the last playing captain 62 years ago. Bradley has paved the path for himself to enact the dual role by convincing opposite number Luke Donald to rewrite the long-standing Captains' Agreement. Donald has allowed Bradley to designate an assistant to be the stand-in captain if he is playing – and this is important because it is only the captains who can give players advice on the course. In truth, Donald will only have been too happy with the update.
In this scenario, it is assumed that Furyk, the 2018 losing captain, will fulfil the role and although that appears to have the whiff of chaos about it, another of Bradley's assistants is convinced it would work. But even Brandt Snedeker's thoughts on the issues could be best described as erratic.
Three months ago, Snedeker declared, 'I don't think it's possible to be able to do both just with how much stuff goes into being a captain'. Yet here he was at the Belfry on Tuesday, completing a mightily impressive, if not altogether surprising, about turn.
'Well, I kind of changed my tune on that,' he told bunkered.co.uk. 'I feel like Keegan can do both. I've been really impressed with his ability to compartmentalise, his ability to still play some great golf while dealing with what we know he's been dealing with off the course.
'The amount of stuff he's had to do to make this special for the guys has been unbelievable. So I think all of us have kind of come around to realising that if we feel like he's one of our best 12 players, he can do both and we can help him do that.'
Snedeker is playing in the British Masters – the DP World Tour event promoted by Faldo – on an invite. As the final European qualification tournament, he will be reporting back to Bradley, who is playing at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Rasmus Hojgaard is the only player who can leapfrog into the top six who automatically qualify for Bethpage. The Dane only needs a tie for 29th to do so. Donald will name his six captain's picks on September 1 and if Hojgaard does displace Shane Lowry – who is essentially guaranteed a third appearance anyway – then it appears his job is straightforward.
Matt Fitzpatrick's candidature might be the only doubt, but the 2022 US Open champion has shown the commitment to play here and is in resurgent form. The headaches are all Bradley's.