Paul McGinley believes it would be “impossible” for anyone to successfully carry out the role of playing captain at a Ryder Cup in the modern era.
There has not been a playing captain in the biennial competition between Europe and the United States since 1963 when Arnold Palmer oversaw a thumping 23-9 victory over Great Britain at East Lake in Georgia.
In that edition, Mr Palmer boasted a 4-2 record, losing 3&2 to Brian Huggett and George Will alongside Johnny Pott in the week’s opening match before going down by one against Peter Alliss in the Sunday singles.
Ever since, plenty of 40-plus-year-olds have watched on as 12 of their country’s best golfers have battled it out on their behalf, with mixed results.
But after Bradley was somewhat surprisingly picked to be Zach Johnson’s successor at Bethpage Black in September 2025 – at which point he will only be 39 – the two-time Ryder Cup player admitted he was eyeing up a spot on the team, so long as he can outright qualify.
Bradley said: “One thing that is important to me is I want to play on the team. I feel as though I’m still in the prime of my career and can make this team.
“I’m not going to pick myself. The only way that would happen is if the team was insisting on it. But even if they did, I don’t see that happening. I want to make the team on points, otherwise I’m going to be the captain.”
However, the man who led Europe to a 16.5-11.5 win at Gleneagles in 2014 without swinging a club believes attempting to do both jobs would only fuel the visitors’ chances of retaining the little gold trophy.
Speaking to Golf Channel’s Damon Hack, McGinley said: “Put it this way, Damon, if America has a playing Ryder Cup captain, I think we would be quite happy in Europe if that was the case.
“The role has become so complex, so difficult. And as we know in this game at the very elite level, the ability to focus is often the determining factor between success and not success.
Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United, is pictured with the 2014 European Ryder Cup team
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“If you’re trying to go out there and play in a very, very hostile environment like a Ryder Cup is, combined with your head all over the place making decisions… it doesn’t matter whether you have a vice-captain or anybody else…
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