OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Keegan Bradley has the support of key players and the opportunity to become the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963 at East Lake.
And it’s all because of Jack Nicklaus.
After the Americans won at East Lake against Great Britain & Ireland — back then it wasn’t much of a competition — the PGA of America’s executive committee changed the bylaws so that a captain could not play. It felt the captain’s duties were too extensive.
Fast forward to Dec. 16, 1982, when the PGA of America appointed 42-year-old Jack Nicklaus to be the U.S. captain. The committee voted unanimously to allow a captain to play.
There were no captain’s picks for the 1983 matches at PGA National. The PGA Championship winner was guaranteed a spot on the team and Nicklaus nearly pulled that off, finishing one shot behind Hal Sutton at Riviera.
Captain’s picks have been introduced, but the rule was left in place for a playing captain. Bradley would have to win the BMW Championship for any chance at the six automatic spots, but there’s that small issue of whether he should pick himself.
Xander Schauffele has told Bradley he needs to bring his clubs to Bethpage Black for the Sept. 26-28 matches. Patrick Cantlay on Tuesday said, “If I was captain, I’d pick Keegan.”
“I think he’s definitely one of the best American players, and his results have shown that,” Cantlay said at Caves Valley.
The BMW Championship is the final event for players to automatically qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Bradley has said he would take it up with the assistant captains and the six automatic qualifiers, the same way he would consider other players as picks.
He doesn’t make his picks until Aug. 27, after the Tour Championship, giving Bradley two weeks of high-end competition. He currently is No. 10 in the standings.
As for the automatic six picks, Scottie Scheffler, Schauffele and J.J. Spaun are mathematically secured to make the team. They are followed by Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English, with Justin Thomas just outside the top six.
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