Over dinner in London with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald on Sunday, Team Europe evaluated the gathering with the United States at Bethpage Black next September.
Based on reaction from Rory McIlroy and his reigning Ryder Cup champion teammates on Thursday, you could likely hear a fork drop when the topic shifted to the U.S. captaincy switching from Zach Johnson to 34-year-old Keegan Bradley.
“Yeah, definitely I think a surprise for everyone,” McIlroy said Thursday after a first-round 65 at the Scottish Open, where he is defending champion. “Yeah, it’s an interesting appointment. The youngest captain since Arnold Palmer I think was a playing captain as 34. But he knows Bethpage very well. He went to university in the area. He’s obviously very passionate about the Ryder Cup.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s certainly a departure from what the U.S. have done over the last few years, and you know, time will tell if that’s a good thing or not.”
When Donald brought up the Bradley selection, McIlroy said he likely had the same reaction as the new U.S. captain.
“I think disbelief,” he said. “I think Keegan was probably in disbelief, at some point, too, but certainly an interesting pick.”
The spin from U.S. Ryder Cup team members was a bit different. Justin Thomas, a controversial captain’s pick by Johnson last year, is currently 17th in the FedEx Cup standings but leads the Scottish Open after 18 holes with a 62 on Thursday and was asked about Bradley potentially serving as a playing captain.
“He could definitely be a playing captain. That’s kind of the thought with John Wood being our manager; I think he has the opportunity to really take a lot of the day-to-day or a lot of the work, really, off of Keegan if it’s needed, or any playing captain, if that’s the route that’s needed to go in the future,” Thomas said. “You know, I just think it’s opening up a whole new opportunity and I think no captain is going to know the players and their games than somebody who is playing with us at highest level every single week. I obviously love the pick and I think it’s a change of direction for the best.”
–Field Level Media