NEW YORK – U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has been abundantly clear each time he’s been requested in regards to the potential of a participant who joined LIV Golf enjoying on subsequent yr’s American workforce.
“I would like the most effective 12 gamers,” he’s repeated when pressed concerning the divide in skilled golf.
The PGA of America made that simpler for Bradley final month when the affiliation introduced LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that’s primarily funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, has been added to its record of “authorised excursions,” which grants A-3 PGA membership to its gamers and makes them eligible for the U.S. Ryder Cup workforce and the PGA Championship.
Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless one query Bradley couldn’t reply throughout Tuesday’s “One 12 months to Go” press convention in Manhattan.
“To be sincere, I haven’t gotten that far,” stated Bradley when requested if Phil Mickelson might be concerned in subsequent yr’s matches. “I personally don’t suppose he’s actually concerned with doing it. I owe loads to Phil and I feel he’s achieved a lot for the American facet of the Ryder Cup, however I’m not so positive he’s seeking to are available in as a vice captain.”
Bradley was paired with Mickelson in the course of the 2012 and 2014 Ryder Cups and will title him a vice captain for subsequent yr’s matches at Bethpage Black however that doesn’t appear probably.
European captain Luke Donald could face an analogous choice. Though the DP World Tour has created a pathway for gamers who joined LIV Golf to keep up their membership on the European circuit through fines, there are just a few gamers who resigned their European membership once they joined LIV Golf.
Sergio Garcia, one of many Continent’s most achieved gamers within the Ryder Cup, resigned his DP World Tour membership however may rejoin if he needed to take part in subsequent yr’s matches both as a participant or vice captain.
“We chatted on the telephone a pair weeks in the past. You understand, he’s actually very concerned with [rejoining the tour],” Donald stated. “He understands the whole lot that’s concerned, and once more, the choice has to go to him, whether or not he’s ready to do all that. However actually, we’ve had that dialogue, sure.”