“How would he know?” – Keegan Bradley fires back at Rory McIlroy as he makes Ryder Cup decision

Keegan Bradley revealed his six captain’s picks for the forthcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black and was asked about Rory McIlroy’s recent remarks about being a playing captain

Keegan Bradley has opted against picking himself in the USA Team for the forthcoming Ryder Cup and hit back at Rory McIlroy’s recent comments.

Bradley was 11th in the American standings and there was increasing speculation he would become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer (1963) at Beckpage Black next month.

However, on Wednesday he confirmed that Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns would be his captain’s picks and join Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harries English and Bryson DeChambeau on the USA Team.

When questioned about the decision, Bradley stated that it “broke his heart not to play” as he revealed his wildcard selections.

“These six players stepped up and played their way onto this team. I’m really proud of them. And I’m glad it’s over,” said Bradley.

“He’s then asked whether he thinks he would have been picked by another captain. “How are we ever going to know!? I grew up wanting to play Ryder Cups. I wanted to fight alongside these guys.

“It broke my heart not to play, it really did. But I was chosen to be the captain of this team. And my ultimate goal is to be the best captain I can be. This is how I think I can do that.

“I was always going to do what was best for this team, even if that meant playing. I would have done it. But these guys played incredibly coming down the stretch. And they made my decision easier.”

Bradley was then asked about McIlroy’s recent remarks that being a playing captain was not possible.

“The idea of me being a playing captain sometime soon has come up and I’ve shot it down straight away because I don’t think you can do it,” said McIlroy.

“If you’d have said it 20 years ago I’d say it was probably possible to do, but how big of a spectacle it is and everything that’s on the line in a Ryder Cup now, I just think it would be a very difficult position to be in.

However, Bradley fired back: “ I just am not worried at all about what they do or say. I care about our team. I’m not quite sure how he (McIlroy) would know if it’s not possible?

“No one’s ever done it really. So I mean, I sit through this process. I wish I could call on (Arnold) Palmer and get his advice.

“The simple fact is the Ryder Cup is a completely different animal than it was in the 60s. So even that would be difficult. But, you know, they can make comments on what I can and cannot do.

“No one would have known. I was confident that if I did need to play, I had incredible vice captains that I could lean on, an incredible team that I could lean on.

“I was going to do what I thought was best for the team. And this was the decision that I thought was best.”

The Ryder Cup takes place from the September 26 to September 28 at Bethpage Black while Luke Donald will reveal his wildcard picks on Monday, September 1.