Title win 'opens door' to US skipper playing in Ryder Cup

KEEGAN Bradley admits victory at the Travelers Championship “changes the story” about whether he will be the first playing captain at the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

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The 39-year-old snatched a debut PGA Tour win away from Tommy Fleetwood, who is almost certain to be in Europe's team for Bethpage in September, with a birdie at the final hole in Connecticut.

Bradley moved to a joint-best seventh in the world and ninth in the USA's Ryder Cup qualification standing, with the top six qualifying and the other half-dozen captain's picks.

“My whole life, every year I was out here, I wanted to play on the Ryder Cup team, and then this would be the first year where maybe I didn’t want to,” said Bradley, who has not played in the event since 2014.

“I just wanted to be the captain and, of course, this is what happens. This changes the story a little bit. I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won.