Tiger Woods will not be the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Instead, the PGA of America announced Monday that Keegan Bradley is taking on the massive responsibility in a stunning choice.
The Telegraph reported that Woods turned down the opportunity to lead his countrymen against Europe in 2025 at Bethpage.
According to the report, Woods would not have time to handle the many demands of the captaincy as he is also intimately involved with the PGA Tour’s talks with PIF, the financial arm of Saudi Arabia’s government that funded LIV Golf.
Woods, who has been an assistant captain in the past, had long been floated as a possibility for the position.
PGA Tour veteran Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, who captained the squads in 2012 and 2016, and Fred Couples were also considered candidates for the position.
“I thought he should have first run at it and he has,” Cink told reporters Monday of Woods ahead of the Scottish Open, according to Bunkered.com. “It doesn’t surprise me that he’s turned it down because since he’s stepped into the board position — the PGA Tour is pretty busy right now and he’s got a lot away from the course too with his injuries and trying to recover and get himself in the kind of condition that he can play. He wants to play. I’m not surprised he turned it down. It’s probably a pretty big role when you consider adding it to all that stuff.”
The Europeans dominated the Americans in September in Rome, storming to an early lead and winning 16 ¹/₂ to 11 ¹/₂ over the Zach Johnson-led team.
Bradley was controversially left off of last year’s team in favor of Justin Thomas.
Bradley, a St. John’s alumnus, had criticized the selection process, claiming that he was left off because he wasn’t as close personally with Johnson and some of his captain’s selections.
“I just hope, some day, I get to win a Ryder Cup and open that thing and just have, like, a peace-of-mind moment, because I’m thinking about the Ryder Cup every second of every day,” Bradley said, per Sports Illustrated, in the “Full Swing” documentary that captured the heartbreaking moment he was left off the team.
Bradley said in a statement Monday that he’s “incredibly honored” to become the captain.
“My passion and appreciation for golf’s greatest team event have never been stronger,” he said. “The Ryder Cup is unlike any other competition in our sport, and this edition will undoubtedly be particularly special given the rich history and enthusiastic spectators at this iconic course. I look forward to beginning preparations for 2025.”
