Charlotte (AFP) – Ryder Cup captains Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley are in contention after their opening rounds at the PGA Championship, sparking talk of playing captains in September’s showdown at Bethpage Black.
Europe’s Donald, a 47-year-old Englishman, fired a bogey-free four-under-par 67 to stand one stroke behind US leader Ryan Gerard with US captain Bradley on 68 after 18 holes at Quail Hollow. “I played as solid of a round of golf as I’ve played all year,” Bradley said. “I played really well. I was pumped to see Luke up there. I know how hard he’s been working. Luke is an all-time great player. To come out here and shoot four-under on the first day on this course is impressive.”
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Despite few starts, Donald found top form after hitting the event’s first tee shot, with his lowest major round since 2004. “It’s always fun, bogey-free in a major on a course that you wouldn’t have thought would be ideal for me. It was nice,” Donald said. “I’ve putted reasonably well the tournaments I’ve played this year but not seen much go in. And to see them dropping was a lot of fun. Only hit nine greens (in regulation) so I wouldn’t say it was amazing but there were definitely highlights that were an improvement on previous events.”
Donald, chasing his first major crown, is ranked 871st in the world and missed the cut in his three PGA Tour starts this year, but plays the PGA on a special exemption. “I’m here only because I’m captain of the European Ryder Cup team. I wouldn’t be in this field otherwise,” Donald said. “My game isn’t where it used to be.” But it was a “turn back the clock” day for Donald, a world number one in 2011 who topped the US PGA and European tours in prize money that season, an unprecedented double that brought PGA Tour and European Player of the Year awards.
The most recent of Donald’s 17 global wins came in Japan in 2013 at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament. His most recent top-40 major finish was shared 12th at the 2015 British Open. Donald was pleased to see success for 19th-ranked Bradley, whose only major win came at the 2011 PGA. “He can have one good week out here, win, which he’s very capable of, and he’s absolutely in the conversation of being a playing captain,” said Donald. “I don’t think that’s quite in my future, but Keegan…he’s still one of the top players in the world.”
Bradley, 38, isn’t planning a playing captaincy just yet. “I want to help the team the best I can. If that means playing, then I’ll do that,” Bradley said. “But I think it’s pretty difficult to do both. I’ve sort of set a timetable of the US Open to reevaluate, but as of right now, I’m not anywhere near making the team.”
– A Different Era –
Bradley hasn’t given up on personal success even as he takes on the Ryder Cup mantle. “It’s definitely a different era of Ryder Cup captains,” Bradley said. “I still feel like I’m in the prime of my career. I’m still trying to be one of the best players in the world, and feel like I can be. Just because I’m the Ryder Cup captain doesn’t change my outlook towards how I compete.”
The only time both Ryder Cup captains finished in the top 10 at a major in a Cup year was at the 1937 British Open, which was played after that year’s Ryder Cup. “It’s unique,” Bradley said. “Only other captains can understand what you’re going through and the day-to-day process and the pressure and everything that comes with that.”
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