Tiger Woods reportedly turned down the opportunity to captain the U.S. team through the 2025 Ryder Cup, according to The Telegraph.
The PGA of America is expected to announce the 2025 Ryder Cup captain on Tuesday. Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig reported that 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley is now expected to earn the captaincy.
GolfDigest’s Stephen Hennessey reported in April that the captaincy was “Woods’ position to take if he wants it,” but Woods said in May he was not sure if he could dedicate enough time to the role.
The Ryder Cup is set to take place at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, next year from Sept. 25 to 28.Bradley, who has appeared at two prior Ryder Cups in 2012 and 2014, could potentially choose to ask Woods to serve an “advisory role,” Yahoo Sports’ Jay Busbee noted.
According to The Telegraph, “it is understood that Woods was prepared to take on the role if the PGA of America… reduced the normal captaincy commitments ahead of the match.”
“But no deal was evidently reached and with the clock ticking, they were forced to look elsewhere,” The Telegraph read.
Ryder Cup captains are often named over a year in advance. The PGA of America named Zach Johnson captain of the 2023 event in February 2022. Ahead of the 2025 contest, Luke Donald was announced as the European captain in November.
Woods told reporters in May at the PGA Championship that he and former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh were “still talking” about the Ryder Cup captaincy while “still working on what that might look like, also whether or not I have the time to do it.”
“I’m dedicating my so much time to what we’re doing with the PGA Tour, I don’t want to not fulfill the role of the captaincy if I can’t do it,” Woods said in May. “What that all entails and representing Team USA and the commitments to the PGA of America, the players, and the fans and as I said, all of Team USA. I need to feel that I can give the amount of time that it deserves.”