This was always a potential dilemma from the moment, a year ago, that the 39-year-old became a shock selection to lead America's quest to regain that precious pot of gold. And the Ryder Cup is a much bigger entity than it was in 1963 when Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain. In those days they played morning and afternoon on each of the three days and Palmer played all six sessions, winning four points, in an overall 23-9 victory. It was routine stuff that barely resonated beyond the golf village. The modern Ryder Cup is one of the biggest and most trancsendent sporting events on the planet. Captaincy is all consuming; potentially contentious and controversial and often pivotal to the final outcome. Playing is exhausting too. Combining both roles effectively seems nigh on impossible. Or at least it was thought to be until Bradley got the call from the PGA of America's then boss Seth Waugh last year. "We want you to be the first playing captain since Palmer," was the gist of Waugh's stunning call to a player who had been cruelly overlooked as a player for the 2023 defeat in Rome. It was and remains a bizarre selection, a reflection that with Tiger Woods wanting to wait for the 2027 match, the US cupboard of candidates was bare. "In my opinion there is just no way that you could be a captain nowadays of a Ryder Cup or a Presidents Cup and play," said Trevor Immelman after commentating for CBS on Bradley's latest victory. "There are so many responsibilities at the feet of the captain. So many decisions that have to be made before the tournament and then during the week. "You want your players to be single-minded, focused on themselves. To be focused on the high pressure situation they are in. "But now you've got a guy in Keegan Bradley, who absolutely should be playing." South African Immelman captained the International team in the 2022 Presidents Cup and is in charge of the official world rankings which have Bradley riding high at number seven with only five Americans ahead of him. And if you think the OWGR is compromised by the LIV induced split in the men's game, Data Golf, which reflects all tours, currently puts only four Americans above the US captain. He lies ninth on the qualifying list for the 12-man team. "You cannot even start an argument with me trying to explain that he is not among the 12 best American golfers," Immelman added. "So they're in a tough spot. The water's just got a little murky for them, because how does he not play, right now?" Bradley insists there is planning in place for this situation, saying he would be a playing captain who would lean heavily on his assistants. Of those only Jim Furyk has captaincy credence with the relatively inexperienced Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker in the background. It is a far from ideal situation.