Two days before the Betfred British Masters kicks off qualifying for the Old World side at the four-time Ryder Cup site, the captain was understandably in “wait and see” mode.
Reigning PGA champion Xander Schauffele, who has played on the past two US squads and is currently third in the US team rankings, was one of the first to weigh in on Bradley’s appointment – and his Schauffele’s request makes a lot of sense.
As the shock of Bradley’s appointment wanes and the choice settles in, we asked three of our own passionate Ryder Cup watchers, John Huggan, Dave Shedloski and Luke Kerr-Dineen, to answer five lingering questions about the selection.
What do we make of the surprise announcement? Golf Digest writers Joel Beall (thumbs up) and Shane Ryan (thumbs down) give their opinions on Bradley’s captaincy.
Hatton reportedly received a $US60 million signing bonus. He had been in negotiations for more than a month, and it is believed the hold-up was due to Ryder Cup eligibility concerns going forward. However, it was his Europe teammate, Rory McIlroy, who put his mind at ease.