Report: Luke Donald agrees to huge rule change that will allow Keegan Bradley to play in Ryder Cup

Keegan Bradley is expected to now compete as a player on the US Ryder Cup team this September after reportedly agreeing a 'captain's agreement' with European Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald. 

According to a report by James Corrigan in Telegraph Sport after The Open at Royal Portrush, Bradley, 39, has asked Donald, 47, to insert a clause into their agreement that will allow him to designate one vice-captain who can act as the 'de facto captain' when he's playing in a session. 

Under the initial agreement, which is rarely ever changed, only the captain of a Ryder Cup team is permitted to speak to players when a match is underway on the course. 

It therefore means should Bradley play in a particular session of the Ryder Cup then one of his vice-captains can step in as captain for that period. 

Bradley's vice-captains are Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner, Gary Woodland and Jim Furyk, the latter of which would seem the most suitable for a captaincy role given he skippered the US Ryder Cup side in 2018, albeit to a heavy loss at Le Golf National. 

Bradley confirmed he was in the process of discussing plans for the captain's agreement last week at The Open.

Bradley may have slipped from ninth to 10th in the US Ryder Cup standings after a T30 at The Open, but it would appear as though the World No.7 is now strongly contemplating the prospect of acting as the first player-captain of a Ryder Cup team since late great Arnold Palmer in 1963. 

With a green light now having been given to Bradley from Donald, it leaves the door open for him to change his role should he so wish. 

"Keegan can only change the overarching contract with Luke and Ryder Cup Europe's approval," a source told Telegraph Sport. 

"The contract between the teams includes things like how many vice-captains a team can have etc. That is used year on year and captains rarely change that.

"But Keegan went to Luke with this clause and Luke generously agreed. We don't want any bad blood between the camps."

There is a strong feeling in the European camp that the visitors could very well be at some sort of advantage if Bradley does take on the role of player-captain at the 2025 Ryder Cup this September. 

Hence why Donald was more than accepting of Bradley's request. 

Rory McIlroy is another who won't be complaining should Bradley take on the role of player captain. 

"It really feels like it's a player-led team in America and obviously we have our input as players on the European team but we do have that one figurehead in Luke," McIlroy said two weeks ago at the Genesis Scottish Open.

"I think that's important. I think even going back to Rome, when the Americans got off to a pretty rough start, I think because Zach [Johnson] gave the team so much ownership, they had no one to look to.

"They were looking at each other instead of having a focal point - 'tell us what to do'. That is something that Europe have done very, very well. But also the players have allowed the captain to be a captain as well."

Donald's Europe will attempt to become the first away side to win the Ryder Cup on foreign soil in 13 years and just the second in 21 years. 

Europe won by five points (16.5-11.5) last time out at Marco Simone in Rome. 

As it stands after The Open, Bradley has slipped from ninth to 10th in the US Ryder Cup standings. 

Bradley did previously state earlier in the season that he would not pick himself on the team, but after today's news it would appear as though he's had a major rethink. 

The 2025 Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage from 26-28 September.

Both Bradley and Donald will each get six captain's picks, and they will be revealed at different stages later next month. 

Bradley confirmed at The Open that LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau will definitely be on the team. 

"Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder Cup," Bradley told Sports Illustrated in a text message.

"He brings so much. He brings energy, passion but most importantly, he's one of the best players on the planet."

DeChambeau is currently ranked fifth on the US Ryder Cup standings, but he now has no more tournaments with which to obtain ranking points. 

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