As we get closer and closer to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the question of whether U.S. captain Keegan Bradley will be a playing captain is heating up.
Now, according to a report from U.K. newspaper the Telegraph, Team Europe captain Luke Donald has agreed to a rule change that would allow Bradley to play on the team without sacrificing his captain’s duties.
Here’s what you should know.
Europe agrees to Ryder Cup rule change at Bradley’s request
A key aspect of every Ryder Cup is the “captain’s agreement,” a list of rules and regulations agreed upon by both teams’ captains ahead of each Ryder Cup. The captain’s agreement rarely changes.
That is not the case this year.
According to the Telegraph’s report, Bradley requested a rule change to this year’s agreement involving one clause. The clause states that only captains can talk to players during matches on the course. Not vice captains.
This has been a big concern for Bradley when considering whether to play on the team or not. If he were to be playing in a session, no one else on the U.S. team would be allowed to give advice and motivation to players during those sessions.
But Bradley requested that the rule be changed so that should he be a playing captain and involved in a match, he could designate one vice captain to be acting captain while on the course. That designated vice captain would then be allowed to advise players during their matches.
Any change the captain’s agreement requires approval by the Ryder Cup and the European captain. A source told the Telegraph that Donald agreed to the rule change, saying, “Keegan [Bradley] went to Luke [Donald] with this clause and Luke generously agreed. We don’t want any bad blood between the camps.”
You can read the full report from The Telegraph here.
Will Keegan Bradley play the 2025 Ryder Cup
With the key rule change out of the way, Bradley is much more likely to end up playing for the U.S. team. But it’s his play on the course that’s put him in this position in the first place.
Bradley was famously snubbed as a captain’s pick for the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cupteam , and his devastation upon receiving the rejection was caught on camera by Netflix.
Then last July, the shocking news came that Bradley would be captain of the 2025 U.S. team. Adding to the shock is that Bradley is only 39 years old, far younger than most captains, and in the prime of his career.
Immediately questions about Bradley being the first U.S. playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963 arose. Bradley was adamant from the get-go that that would only happen if he played his way on the team.
Since then, Bradley has captured two PGA Tour victories and risen to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking, better than any European player except World No. 2 Rory McIlroy.
With four weeks to go until Bradley announces his six captain’s picks, he sits at 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup rankings.
