US captain Keegan Bradley has decided to focus on his captain's duties and won't play in the Ryder Cup next month.
Bradley named his six captain's selections to complete the 12-man US team on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old's strong season – including a victory at the Traveller's Championship and six other top-10 finishes – sparked speculation he would choose himself and become the first US playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Instead Bradley named two-time major winners Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa, Ryder Cup veteran Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns and Ryder Cup rookies Ben Griffin and Cameron Young.
“It was an extremely difficult decision,” Bradley said in Texas.
“I would say there was a point this year where I was playing, a while ago, and these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way on to this team.
“It was an extremely difficult decision, but one that I'm really happy with and with these six players.
“And I'm glad it's over,” he added of the selection process.
They join the six automatic qualifiers for the US line-up: top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, two-time major winners Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, US Open winner J.J. Spaun and fellow Ryder Cup rookie Russell Henley and Harris English.
Scheffler has enjoyed another stellar season, with his five victories including major titles at the PGA Championship and British Open.
He headlines a US team vying to regain the trophy they surrendered with a 16.5-11.5 loss to Europe in Rome two years ago.
Team Europe will retain the bulk of their line-up from 2023 as they try to capture their first away victory since the “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012.
Bradley said Rory McIlroy's assertion it wouldn't be possible to be effective as a player and captain was never discussed.
“I grew up wanting to play Ryder Cups. I grew up wanting to fight alongside these guys. It broke my heart not to play. It really did,” Bradley said.
“You work forever to make these teams. But ultimately I was chosen to do a job. I was chosen to be the captain of this team. My ultimate goal to start this thing was to be the best captain I could be. This is how I felt like I could do this. If it got to this point and it felt like the team was better with me on it, I was going to do that.
“I know 100 per cent certain this was the right choice. These six guys, again, played so incredibly coming down the stretch here and made my decision a lot easier.”
Ryder Cup veteran Thomas said he knows Bradley is “gutted” but took his pledge seriously to serve as the best captain above other duties.
“Keegan said it perfectly,” Thomas said. “It's going to be said so many times between now and the Ryder Cup, Keegan did and will do whatever he needs to do with the team.”
Bradley said it's “strange” his play-or-captain call received so much “hype, but the Ryder Cup is a big deal, apparently”.
