CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley turned the opening round of the PGA Championship into their own little Ryder Cup competition Thursday.
Shortly after Donald carded a surprising 4-under-par 67 — his best opening round at a major in 21 years — Bradley checked in with a 68, leaving both Ryder Cup captains in contention at Quail Hollow with 54 holes remaining.
“If it’s tied 14-14, are you talking a playoff? I’ll grab the trophy and go back to Europe,” joked Donald, whose European team bested the Americans 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, meaning they will retain the trophy if they tie or beat the Americans this September at Bethpage Black.
Bradley got a chuckle out of Donald’s comments and said he planned to text his counterpart and let him know he was “pumped” for him.
“It’s unique," Bradley said of having both Ryder Cup captains in the top 10. "You know, one of the interesting things about becoming captain, only other captains can understand what you’re going through, and the day-to-day process and the pressure and everything that comes with that.
“So for him to go out there and shoot that round, it’s impressive. It makes me happy.”
Bradley, 38, remains in his prime, so his round didn't come as a surprise. Despite his 19th ranking in the world, he hasn't decided if he'll also play for the U.S. team this fall, saying it's something he'll consider sometime after the U.S. Open and only if it benefits the team.
The same can't be said for the 47-year-old Donald.
He no longer competes on a regular basis and knows his Ryder Cup playing days are over. He has failed to make in the cut in his only three starts in 2025.
“I don’t think that’s quite in my future," joked Donald.
Still, Donald remains a fixture on the golf scene. He spends most of his time these days evaluating who'll be on the 12-man European team, which is no easy task these days given how the LIV Tour has complicated the way teams are selected.
And when he answers questions, they're almost always about the team — not his game.
“That’s what I signed up to do,” he said.
But one of the perks of being the Ryder Cup captain traditionally means receiving an invitation to play in the PGA Championship during the years in which the event is played.
Donald took full advantage.
While he doesn't have the length off the tee to compete with players like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, he's still a crafty veteran who can manage his way around the course. On Thursday, he made four birdies and didn't make a bogey.
When asked when was the last time he played that well, he paused before saying “you're testing my memory. Can hardly remember what I did last week, let alone this week.”
Whether or not Donald can sustain the momentum and make the cut remains to be seen.
But at least for a day, he could focus on just being a player, rather than a captain. And for the 2011 PGA Tour player of the year, that was a welcome break from his other job.
"The balancing thing (as captain), yeah, I found it more tricky the first go around (in 2023) for the captaincy for Rome,” Donald said of being the head of the European team. “I had less time to prepare for that captaincy. This time, I’ve had a longer time, and obviously second go-around, I’m sort of familiar with what’s going on and what I need to do and the time frames and all that stuff. I’ve been able to balance it quite well.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Steve Reed, The Associated Press
