Did Tiger Woods make a mistake by giving up the Ryder Cup captaincy because Keegan Bradley took the leadership role?
Confirming rumors, the USGA has announced that Tiger Woods will not lead the U.S. team next year. Instead, Keegan Bradley will pilot the America ship aboard Bethpage Black from September 26-28, 2025.
Bradley’s choice was both the impact and the polarization selection.
Some believe that Woods had to take this opportunity, others believe that Bradley’s passion was what the US team needed. Interestingly, none of them have an impressive Ryder Cup record.
Tiger Woods has 13 wins in his biennial appearances.
But the veteran also has 21 losses and three and a half matches to his name. The 48-year-old has played in eight Ryder Cups during his career. But he’s only been on a winning team once, in 1999. Woods called the Battle of Brooklyn “one of the coolest moments” of his career. It’s worth noting that Tiger Woods has experience leading the U.S. team on the international stage: The 48-year-old led the team to victory at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia.
Bradley doesn’t have that experience. The 38-year-old has been on two Ryder Cup teams. First in 2012 at the Miracle at Medinah and then in 2014 at Gleneagles. However, each time the cup went to Europe. Bradley famously vowed not to open the bag that came back from the 2012 Ryder Cup until he won another, an opportunity the former PGA Champion has missed since 2014. He qualified for the Ryder Cup last year but received a negative call from Zach Johnson while being followed by a full-swing camera.
Looking ahead to next year’s challenge, Bradley said: “The Ryder Cup is unlike any other tournament in our sport. And given the iconic venue’s rich history and enthusiastic crowds, this edition will undoubtedly be special.
Woods, meanwhile, was reluctant to take the job. It was a lucrative offer, given the prestige of the Ryder Cup. Furthermore, the word was that the work had to take it. Only the head sine provides this place. But Woods shook his head.
Typically, the Ryder Cup captain is chosen from players who have yet to achieve stardom. This is not the case for Bradley, nor for Arnold Palmer in 1963. However, it is generally accepted that being named Ryder Cup captain is often the end of high-level professional golf. One reason, of course, is that a captain has many responsibilities.
From selecting players to building a team, it is not an easy task. In golf’s current situation, this would mean throwing himself headfirst into a meaningless controversy, something Woods may have wanted to avoid given his active role in negotiations with the PIF. The former world number one also suggested he was running out of time.
Woods, 48, is still in recovery mode, so to speak. The Jupiter native is hungry for more big shots and is focused on improving his game, improving his mind-body conditioning and reducing his post-round recovery time.
Given the position he finds himself in, it’s likely the 15-time major champion thought it best to pass up the opportunity. This opened the Kigan Blood Lily door.
PARNAB BHATTACHARY-writers have defeated the golf category in sports sports. With four years of experience as a writer, he explores the deep love of the gentleman’s sport. Parnab’s specialty lies in positive, upbeat articles that explore all things golf and delve deep into the whats and wherefores of the players and tours in the sport, expressing his views unflinchingly.
