Europe captain Luke Donald agrees to Ryder Cup rules change for US skipper Keegan Bradley
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US golfer Keegan Bradley watching his drive from the second tee during practice ahead of the British Open at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 16.
PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK – The 2025 Ryder Cup is getting off to a congenial start.
According to a report by Telegraph Sport on July 21, 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 the United States 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.
But 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 US vice-captains are Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland. Furyk, the team captain in the 2018 European win in France, 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 play-offs, before winning his second Travelers Championship title in three years in June.
He is 10th in the US 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 Spieth slumping and the selections coming in four weeks, Bradley seems preparing to put himself in the team.
The last playing captain for the US team in a Ryder Cup was Arnold Palmer in 1963.
The 2025 Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, from Sept 26 to 28. Team Europe are attempting to retain the cup and become the first away side to win it in 13 years. They rallied for a 14.5-13.5 win at Medinah in 2012.
Separately, Tiger Woods, who has missed the 2025 season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon, walked around Brook Hollow Golf Club on July 21 watching his son Charlie compete at the US Junior Amateur.
Woods, a 15-time Major champion, underwent surgery in March. There has been no timetable for his return to competition, with this appearance the first hint at his fitness.
His son fired an 11-over 81 in the first round of the US Golf Association event at Dallas, with two birdies, five bogeys and four double-bogeys to share 242nd place.
Woods, who turns 50 in December, withdrew from February’s Genesis Invitational, saying he was not ready to compete in the wake of his mother Kultida’s death.
He has not competed since missing the cut in last July’s British Open at Royal Troon.
A three-time US Junior Amateur winner from 1991 to 1993, he has won 82 PGA Tour titles, level with Sam Snead for the all-time record.
The US Junior Amateur features 36 holes of strokeplay for a field of 264 players over two courses on July 21 and 22. The field will be cut to the top 64 players, who will compete in matchplay to determine the champion. REUTERS, AFP