There’s plenty of debate raging about Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup captaincy right now and former European skipper Padraig Harrington has now weighed in on the matter.
Harrington has experience of being captain himself having captained Team Europe in what proved to be a disastrous outing at Whistling Straits in 2021.
The Irishman was still praised for his role as team head though and through that experience, he’s perfectly qualified to speak on Keegan Bradley’s issue.
Right now, Bradley is one of the best players in the world. After winning The Travelers, the US skipper is now faced with the very realistic possibilty of either being a playing captain, or stepping down.
And according to Harrington, there is only one possible outcome.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty ImagesPadraig Harrington says whether Keegan Bradley should be Team USA captain
Harrington has been speaking this week on the Sirius XM PGA Tour radio show and got onto the subject of Bradley being a playing captain.
And while Harrington warned Europe they’ll not want to play against him, he suggested the American simply cannot do both roles.
“Keegan is a player that the Europeans don’t want to play against. Everything about him, he’s a really tough competitor,” Harrington said.
“Even his mannerisms, it’s not easy to play against. But even the shot he hit on 18, he’s very ballsy and he hits the shots at the end of the day, so there’s a lot of players you could tee it up against and you wouldn’t choose Keegan as one of them. He’s going to get it done.
“Obviously the competition for the US now is he’s captain and should he step down from captain and play. He’s definitely in the best 12 players, without doubt. I don’t think he can be captain and play.
“The captaincy of the Ryder Cup is such a big deal. Particularly when you think about Tiger at the Presidents Cup, they’re not the same though. The timings, the pressure, the speed, it’s a much quicker event. I do not think in any way shape or form, a captain can be a player.”
What other players are saying about Keegan Bradley being a playing captain
There is going to need to be a decision quickly on this from the USA. It cannot be hanging over them for too long, with the tournament just months away.
Bryson DeChambeau has said he wants Bradley as part of the team but refrained from saying whether the dual role would suit.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kisner has spoken of Bradley and suggested that in the end, it might come down to personal choice.
“It also comes down to his decision. If he feels he wants a spot on the team then he has to make that call. If he can juggle both roles it’s only up to him so we will see what he thinks, we still have a long way to go and a lot of points at the British Open,” Kisner said recently.
Ultimately, Bradley knows there is a big decision looming here and if he gets it wrong, it could be his lasting legacy as a Team USA player.