OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Keegan Bradley has the support of key players and the opportunity to become the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963 at East Lake.

And it's all because of Jack Nicklaus.

After the Americans won at East Lake against Great Britain & Ireland — back then it wasn't much of a competition — the PGA of America's executive committee changed the bylaws so that a captain could not play. It felt the captain's duties were too extensive.

Fast forward to Dec. 16, 1982, when the PGA of America appointed 42-year-old Jack Nicklaus to be the U.S. captain. The committee voted unanimously to allow a captain to play.

There were no captain's picks for the 1983 matches at PGA National. The PGA Championship winner was guaranteed a spot on the team and Nicklaus

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