Tiger Woods has announced that he turned down the opportunity to become the USA’s Ryder Cup captain for the 2025 competition, citing time commitments and responsibilities to the PGA Tour as the main reasons. In a statement to the PGA of America, Woods explained, “With my new responsibilities to the Tour and time commitments involved, I felt like I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain.”
However, Woods did not rule out future involvement, adding, “That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If and when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”
In a surprising turn, Keegan Bradley was named as the US captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup, which will be held at Bethpage Black in New York. Bradley, currently ranked 19th in the world, expressed his excitement, saying, “I am incredibly honored to accept this opportunity to captain the United States Team at the 2025 Ryder Cup. My passion and appreciation for golf’s greatest team event have never been stronger.”
The USA aims to bounce back from a significant defeat to Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, where Luke Donald led the European team to victory. Donald will return as the European captain for the 2025 event.
Reports indicate that the PGA’s decision was delayed due to negotiations with Woods. Despite his past participation in eight Ryder Cups, with the last being in 2018, Woods has previously voiced concerns about the time demands of the captaincy. During the US PGA Championship in May, he stated, “I’m dedicating so much time to what we’re doing with the PGA Tour, I don’t want to fulfil the role of the captaincy if I can’t do it. What that all entails and representing Team USA and the commitments to the PGA of America, the players, and the fans – I need to feel that I can give the amount of time that it deserves.”
With Bradley at the helm, the US team looks forward to preparing for a memorable Ryder Cup at one of the sport’s most iconic courses.
