Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley turned the opening round of the PGA Championship into their own little Ryder Cup competition Thursday. Shortly after Donald carded a surprising 4-under-par 67 — his best opening round at a major in 21 years — Bradley checked in with a 68,

Desperate to perform as a playing captain at Ryder Cup, Keegan Brandley has his backup plan ready if not qualified directly.

The Ryder Cup between Europe and the United States may be months away but Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley offered a preview of the showdown as the two captains played themselves into contention at the PGA Championship on Thursday.