Golf insider names shock candidate set to take over Ryder Cup 2025 captaincy
The report that Tiger Woods allegedly turned down the captaincy of the U.S. Ryder Cup team has gone viral in the golf world. Opinions and rumors revolve around the question of who, if not Woods, could be in charge of the team.
The aforementioned report appeared in The Telegraph and mentions Stewart Cink, Fred Couples and Davis Love III as candidates. However, Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig reported Monday, July 8, that Keegan Bradley is reportedly the choice for the job.
The report cites unnamed sources close to the matter. According to this information, Keegan Bradley will be taking over as head coach of the team that will face Europe at Bethpage Black in September 2025.
Tiger Woods' probable replacement, Bradley, has relatively little Ryder Cup experience. Now 38 years old and 16 seasons into his professional career, Bradley has played in two editions of the Ryder Cup (2012, 2014) ending up on the losing side both times.
His record in the biennial event is four points in seven matches. His best performance was in 2012, when he won three points out of a possible four.
Keegan Bradley has 12 professional victories during his career, six of them on the PGA Tour. In 2011, he became a Major champion by winning the PGA Championship. His most recent victory was at the 2023 Travelers Championship.
The PGA of America, the governing body of the Ryder Cup on the American side, will announce this Tuesday (July 9), the official choice to captain the team for the 2025 edition.
Why did Tiger Woods allegedly refuse to captain the Ryder Cup team?
The Telegraph's report indicates that Tiger Woods allegedly declined to captain the US team to the 2025 Ryder Cup due to negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Woods is one of the PGA Tour's Player Directors and is also on the board of the PGA Tour Enterprise, the venture that arose from the investment made by the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) in the tour. In addition, he is one of the members of the negotiating team of the American tour.
Tiger Woods' involvement in the negotiations has been very active over the past few months. This includes a private round of golf with PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan after his meeting with the Player Directors in the Bahamas a few months ago.
According to the report, Woods said he would be willing to assume the captaincy if his duties were reduced so that he could conduct them in parallel with negotiations with the PIF. However, it appears that no such agreement was reached.
On the European side, Luke Donald was confirmed to repeat as captain for the 2025 edition.