Keegan Bradley bites back at Rory McIlroy as US captain announces Ryder Cup team

Keegan Bradley has brushed off any concerns about Rory McIlroy's comments, following his decision not to participate in the Ryder Cup.

The Team USA captain unveiled his 12-player team for the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York on Wednesday.

The world No. 11 was anticipated to select himself after clinching the Travelers Championship earlier this summer.

Bradley is unquestionably one of the world's top players and has earned his place among Team USA's 12 players on merit.

However, there hasn't been a playing captain in the tournament since 1963, when the legendary Arnold Palmer led Team USA to victory.

This sparked considerable debate over whether Bradley should reward himself with a pick or concentrate solely on leading the team.

McIlroy, Team Europe's talisman, was recently questioned about whether he would consider being a playing captain in future Ryder Cups.

Team Europe is expected to have a new captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup, as current leader Luke Donald is not predicted to continue for a third tournament.

McIlroy will be 38 when the 2027 Ryder Cup occurs, just one year younger than Bradley is currently.

However, McIlroy isn't keen on the idea. "I've been asked to do that and I've turned it down," he stated earlier this summer.

"The idea of me being a playing captain sometime soon has come up, and I've shot it down straight away because I don't think you can do it.

"If you'd have said it 20 years ago, I'd say it was probably possible to do, but how big of a spectacle it is and everything that's on the line in a Ryder Cup now, I just think it would be a very difficult position to be in.

"There's a lot of things that people don't see that the captain does the week of the Ryder Cup, especially now that the Ryder Cup has become so big.

"The captain's only going to be able to play one session on Friday, one session on Saturday. Would you rather not have a player that has the flexibility to go twice if he's playing well?".

McIlroy might be accused of engaging in psychological warfare with his remarks, which came before Bradley revealed his choice.

Bradley was questioned whether McIlroy's view had influenced his decision during a press conference on Wednesday.

He responded: "I am not worried about what they do or say.

"I'm not sure how he would know if it is not possible; nobody has ever done it. I said, through this process, I wish I could call Palmer and get his advice.

"The simple fact is it's a different animal now to the 60s. They can make comments on what I can or cannot do. No one would have known. I was confident if I did need to play, I had incredible vice captains to lean on.

"This was the decision I thought was best."