Something Jack Nicklaus once said about the Ryder Cup captaincy now looks very interesting indeed after Keegan Bradley made his final decision on Wednesday.
Nicklaus is one of the most highly revered figures in the game of golf due to his remarkable record throughout his career, including 73 PGA Tour wins and 18 major championships.
So Bradley may be interested to see what the greatest of all time once said about Ryder Cup captaincy.
On Wednesday, Brandel Chamblee claimed that Bradley may have already won the Ryder Cup for the United States with his decision not to pick himself.
It was a selfless decision from the 39-year-old, who clearly desperately wanted to play at Bethpage Black.
The PGA of America put Bradley in an impossible position ahead of the Ryder Cup by naming him as captain in the first place.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner has been robbed of the chance to play at Bethpage. He should have been named captain for 2027 or later.
Jack Nicklaus made Ryder Cup captaincy claim as Keegan Bradley makes decision
Nicklaus played on five winning Ryder Cup teams throughout his career in the game.
He also captained the US team twice – in 1983 and 1987.
So it’s fair to say that he would be a good person to ask about what he thinks of how important the Ryder Cup captaincy is.
Golf journalist Robert Lusetich once asked the great man that exact question, and he posted the response he received on his X account.
Lusetich said: “No position has been as over-complicated as the Ryder Cup captain. I once asked Jack about his captaincy strategy. “Well, two guys come to me and say they’d like to play together and I say, sure, go win”. Assistants in carts with earpieces, WAGs on walkie-talkies; all performative.“
That’s a fairly antiquated view of the role of the Ryder Cup captain.
The Ryder Cup is a completely different animal now than what it was back in the day due to the boom in popularity of the game and the increased involvement of the media.
Ryder Cup captains have far more off-course duties to fulfil now than they did 40 years ago, and Bradley made the correct decision for the US team.
How Phil Mickelson reacted to Keegan Bradley not playing at the Ryder Cup
Mickelson is well-known for his social media activity, so fans were waiting patiently for him to respond to his good friend Bradley’s decision on Wednesday.
The six-time major champion didn’t disappoint and shared his opinion on whether or not Bradley made the correct call.
Mickelson said: “Keegan did a great job today and was as classy as the king. He’s leading by example and is showing why he’s a great choice to lead this team.“
That was a classy message from Mickelson in response to a really classy decision from Ryder Cup captain Bradley.
He would have been desperate to play on this team and the fact that he didn’t pick himself proved that he put his wants and needs to one side.
That is the sign of a real captain carrying out proper leadership.
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