Being a playing captain would be ‘impossible’ for Keegan Bradley at Ryder Cup – Paul McGinley

Bradley said at his unveiling this week that he’d love a playing role if he can qualify automatically.

“One thing that is important to me is I want to play on the team,” said the two-time Ryder Cup player, who was a shock appointment for Bethpage Black after Tiger Woods made himself unavailable.

“I feel as though I’m still in the prime of my career and can make this team.

“I’m not going to pick myself. The only way that would happen is if the team was insisting on it. But even if they did, I don’t see that happening. I want to make the team on points, otherwise I’m going to be the captain.”

McGinley was surprised by Bradley’s appointment and shocked to hear him suggest a playing role if he qualified.

Speaking to Golf Channel’s Damon Hack, McGinley said: “Put it this way, Damon, if America has a playing Ryder Cup captain, I think we would be quite happy in Europe if that was the case.

“The role has become so complex, so difficult. And as we know in this game at the very elite level, the ability to focus is often the determining factor between success and not success.

“If you’re trying to go out there and play in a very, very hostile environment like a Ryder Cup is, combined with your head all over the place making decisions.

“It doesn’t matter whether you have a vice-captain or anybody else in place, no matter how good that person may be, it’s a very, very difficult thing to do – it’s almost impossible, I would say impossible.”

Meanwhile, Dundalk’s Brendan Lawlor finished third behind England’s Kipp Popert in the US Adaptive Open in Kansas.

He fired a two-under 70 to finish five shots behind wire-to-wire winner Popert at Sand Creek Station.

“Usually, if I shoot nine-under in a tournament, it’s not too far away,” said Lawlor, who won the short stature impairment category as Popert shot 71 to by four shots from Korea’s Simon Seungmin Lee on 14-under

“Kipp just blew the field away this year. He was unreal. I am really excited to come back next year.

“I’m delighted (to win my category). Obviously, I want to win the main one. That’s my main goal.

“I think the categories are fantastic. It gives a lot of people a chance to win their own thing. Yeah, just hope the game keeps growing and moving forward the way it’s going.”