U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald spoke in New York on Tuesday during the competition’s “One Year to Go” celebration.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the best give-and-takes between the skippers and the media on topics ranging from LIV players to how they’ll keep the Bethpage crowd from crossing the line.
On LIV Golf participants
Q. What is your plan with regard to LIV players, choosing them as captain’s picks?
DONALD: The DP World Tour’s policies have been very consistent. There’s been a lot of clarity around that. It’s really the same as it was in Rome. You have to be a member of the European Tour and born in Europe. If you fulfill the regulations and the rules that the DP World Tour set, then you’re eligible. There’s a bunch of LIV guys that play on LIV that they are eligible now; so I can pick them at will.
BRADLEY: For us, I’m going to take the 12 best players. So if we feel like there’s a few guys there, one guy, two guys, whatever it is, then we’re going to do that. But we’re too far out to figure out how this is all going to play out. But we’re definitely going to take the 12 best players however that shakes out.
Q. Have you spoken to Jon Rahm recently about his efforts to remain eligible for the Ryder Cup?
DONALD: Oh, I’ve spoken to Jon. I’ve spoken to everyone that is a possibility for being on that team. It was great to see Jon do what he needed to do to remain eligible and to see him in Spain, and last week he played very well at the Dunhill. We’re in constant communication. Again, I’m talking to all the players, to him, to Tyrrell [Hatton]. It was great to see Tyrrell win last week at the Dunhill.
Q. Sergio [Garcia] has talked before about rejoining. Do you think that is a serious option?
DONALD: Yeah, we chatted on phone a couple weeks ago. You know, he’s certainly very interested in doing that. He understands everything that’s involved, and again, the decision has to go to him, whether he’s prepared to do all that. But certainly, we’ve had that discussion, yes.
On being a playing captain
Q. I know you said it’s a long ways away but what would be the challenges of trying to play and captain if that were to happen next year?
BRADLEY: Well, you know, just getting the pairings in after the session, managing, preparing to play with preparing the guys and preparing — getting the pairings ready. I think it would be a really difficult job. But I made a promise to myself that I’m not going to worry about this until the time comes if I do. It’s really difficult to make the American team every year; you have to go out and really perform. Like I said, right now, my focus is on being a captain but I’m still a full-time player. I’m still playing in all the majors and all the big events next year. So I have a real shot at doing this.
Q. Is there a Plan B in place already if you do make the team as a player?
BRADLEY: You know, every vice captain that I am choosing will know that this is a possibility. So they will know what’s going on in that way. I also have John Wood (a team manager) who has come on. But I think my vice captains are all going to be more than capable of doing this, and I hope some day they will all be captains. But again, we’re so far away from that that I’m really focused on being a captain right now.
Q. You’re both competing on tours, and there’s always a chance you could be part of the team as playing captains. What would this mean for you and your strategy?
DONALD: I think Keegan is sort of answered that one before. I’m in a little bit of a different situation than Keegan. I’m not 14 in the world. I’m something like 414 or 514. So my game just hasn’t been quite as good the last few years. I still love competing. I love going out there and playing my best, and trying to learn and trying to get better. But I’m a little bit older than Keegan. My view is in three years’ time for that Champions Tour. You know, it would take a big turnaround in my game for me to be eligible, but Keegan obviously has been playing great.
On what Bradley learned at Presidents Cup
Q. What did you learn from Jim Furyk at Royal Montreal that you will take with you into next year’s Ryder Cup?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I think what Jim did great was we got off to that incredible start, and the second session, we got beat 0-5, which was pretty shocking. He just stuck with the plan. He didn’t panic. Didn’t change the pairings. He kept everything very level. I think that was a time in the tournament where he could have panicked a bit and decided to switch the plan up. It was very clear that he was going to stick with the script and go with what they had figured out before the week started, and I think a lot of the players responded well to that.
On who is the underdog
Q. Do you consider your team the underdog?
DONALD: When you’re playing an away Ryder Cup, I think you have to be the underdog. Just looking historically, Whistling Straits, the result there was very one-sided. Hazeltine was pretty one-sided; Valhalla. You know, we were fortunate to come back at Medinah. But the last few times we’ve played away, the results have been one-sided towards the is. Yes, in a tough environment, we will be the underdogs.
Q. Keegan, are you buying that (Laughter)?
BRADLEY: I think Luke, these guys really love playing for Luke, and they are going to love coming into Bethpage and trying to shut up the fans, the players. It’s a very unifying thing to be on a team and come into a hostile environment. We know that. We know how tough they are. We know how great of match play players they are, and how much they care about the Ryder Cup. So you know, I think obviously the home team has a bit of an advantage but you know, they get to come in, us against the world, and that’s always tough to play against.
On making sure the New York fans don’t go overboard
Q. What’s one piece of advice or encouragement that you would give to the fans at Bethpage and for Luke, what is one request you would have of the fans at Bethpage?
BRADLEY: So I would want them to cheer loudly and proudly for their team. I would want them to, this is a special place to New Yorkers, Bethpage, and you know, they are a part of our team. They are going to be with us through the whole week, and I want them to be passionate and loud and excited, and also respectful to the other side.
DONALD: I mean, I couldn’t say it any better, really. I think that’s what we would love, as well. The Ryder Cup is special because it is spirited. Passions are high. Energy is high. You want to see that amongst the players. You certainly don’t want to see the spirit of the Ryder Cup endangered in any way. But again, I think Keegan said, The PGA of America have things in place for if there is, you know, outburst the or if there’s anything deemed inappropriate, they will deal with that. Again, we are looking forward to playing in front of a New York crowd. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be feisty. It’s going to be spirited, and it will be fun.
Q. Can you say specifically what precautions The PGA of America has in place in case the crowd loses its mind?
BRADLEY: Well, there’s going to be people walking around inside the ropes that are going to be monitoring the situation. It’s really important to us, the U.S. side, that it’s a fair place to play for both teams. Nobody on either team wants this to get uncomfortable or weird out there. But listen, you come into Yankee Stadium; you come into Madison Square Garden; you come into these places, it’s a tough place to play, and Luke and the boys know that. But I have total faith in the fans, and they are going to be loud and they are going to be passionate, and the PGA of America is going to do a great job making sure everything’s right.
On Tiger Woods’ inclusion
Q. What have your conversations been, if any, with Tiger about potential involvement and do you expect him to be involved at all?
BRADLEY: So I speak to Tiger a bunch when the announcement happened. He was really, really helpful. Had a lot of great advice. Again, the stress of playing in the Presidents Cup and then the playoffs and everything that came with that, I sort of put everything on pause for a second, and I’ll be addressing that in the coming weeks and months. But I’ve had great conversations with Tiger. He’s a mentor of all of us, and you know, he’s got a lot of great suggestions on things we can do as a team.
On too many galas and dinners
Q. One of your expected top players, Xander Schauffele, had made mention of on these Ryder Cup weeks, maybe there’s one-too-many dinners and galas and photo opportunities. Is that something as captain you can even control, and would you entertain maybe canceling one of those nights?
BRADLEY: Listen, you come into a Ryder Cup and you know you have a lot of obligations. You’re going to have to do things that you wouldn’t normally do at a major week that is part of the deal. Xander is a leader of the U.S. team. He is a guy that everyone on the team looks up to, including their captain. He’s just an unbelievably person and a critical part of our team. I think when he says that, he’s just trying to look out for his other teammates. He’s nothing but amazing in the team room and with the players. So he’s going to be great, and if Julius can take a few of the obligations off, we’ll do that (Laughter).
DONALD: Don’t look at me.
