(Reuters) -U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley resisted the temptation to pick himself when he named Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns as wildcards to complete his 12-man team on Wednesday.
Bradley, the world number 11, finished 11th in the race to make the team and U.S. President Donald Trump was among those to urge the 39-year-old to select himself as a player.
"It was a very difficult decision not to be on the team, but I’m very happy with
the selection. It broke my heart not to play, but ultimately it's my job to do what's best for the team. This is the right choice," Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, told reporters.
The decision brought an end to speculation that he could become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer 62 years ago.
Bradley acknowledged that he had seriously considered playing, but ultimately prioritised the success of the team.
"I was always going to do what was best for this team, even if that meant playing. I would have done it. But these guys played incredibly coming down the stretch. And they made my decision easier," he added.
First-pick Thomas will be participating in his fourth consecutive Ryder Cup, while Morikawa and Cantlay are set to make their third appearances.
"There will be a lot of pressure but pressure is a privilege. We will look at the pressure as something to be overcome and being at home will be a big help. At the end of the day we will have to play great golf," Morikawa said.
Making their debuts are Young, Burns and Griffin, who had a breakthrough year on the PGA Tour, winning his first two events.
The wildcards will join automatic qualifiers world number one Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.
European captain Luke Donald is scheduled to announce his six wildcard picks on September 1, ahead of the match at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
