Sky Sports golf commentator Wayne Riley wonders "how did Team USA get themselves in this position?" as he feels the impending drama about Keegan Bradley's playing status will damage the home side's Ryder Cup chances.
In his latest blog on the Sky Sports website, former tour pro Riley says Bradley will now be forced to pick himself in his own team - and thereby become the first American playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1962.
There is divided opinion on whether Bradley being a playing captain is a positive or negative for Team USA, but Australian Riley feels he has no choice but to take his clubs to Bethpage.
And the disruption that extra planning will cause will be music to Luke Donald's ears, according to Riley, as it will dominate the build up for the home side.
"I can't see him missing the Ryder Cup if you're seven in the world right now! You have to pick yourself to play, although he's damned if he does and he's dammed if he doesn't here," Riley wrote in his column.
"How did Team USA get themselves in this position? Luke Donald must be laughing his head off. A lot of people a year ago thought Europe were going to get hammered at Bethpage, but not anymore."
Victory at the Travelers Championship propelled Bradley into a career-best seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, which just strengthens his case for inclusion in his own team.
The 39-year-old doesn't seem concerned about being a playing captain and is happy to lean on his vice-captains at Bethpage and lead by committee.
"We've talked about this. I'm still going to be the captain," said Bradley. "I put a lot of work into this. This is why I've chosen the guys that I've chosen, and Jim Furyk - who has done this - [Brandt Snedeker] and [Kevin Kisner], we're a team. We talk every day. They can maybe step in when I wouldn't be there for certain things."
Riley, though, thinks that while Bradley playing in the Ryder Cup is a no-brainer, his position as captain is under threat.
"He's just got to say: 'I'm going to play and do you people want me as a playing captain?' That's how he's got to go about it," added Riley.
But Riley feels he may be better off stepping down as captain rather than trying to handle both roles in what's become one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
"I don't think you can be a playing captain in something so very big.
"He's got to drop himself as a captain, he's got to just play. But then who does he give the captaincy to? Right now, for me, the whole thing is advantage Europe."
