Tiger Woods’ decision to withdraw from Ryder Cup consideration leaves Team USA facing questions over who will lead them into next year’s edition at Adare Manor.
Woods was initially favourite to succeed Keegan Bradley for the centenary edition in Ireland, with the former world No 1 in discussions with the PGA of America over the role in the months prior to his latest car crash on March 27.
The 15-time champion was charged with driving under the influence and announced on March 31 he would step away from golf for a period to focus on his health, with the PGA of America confirming a day later that Woods’ decision also ends the possibility of him being Team USA’s next captain.
The PGA of America confirmed they will share further updates over Ryder Cup captaincy ‘when appropriate’, but Woods’ unavailability leaves them searching for an alternative option with less than 18 months to go.
Luke Donald will captain Team Europe for a third consecutive Ryder Cup, having led them to victories in Rome in 2023 and in New York two years later, but who will he be facing? We look at some of Team USA’s potential captaincy contenders…
Could captain come from Bradley’s backroom team?
Bradley said last month he would welcome the opportunity to captain Team USA again, despite still being “heartbroken” from their 15-13 home defeat in New York last September.
“I mean, yeah, sure, I would [want to captain again], but I don’t know if that’s in the cards,” Bradley said during The Players. “Any Ryder Cup captain that loses would like to do it again, I would imagine, but that’s not up to me.”
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Speaking after the second round of The Players, former USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley claimed he’s still heartbroken by their home loss
Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Jim Furyk were among Bradley’s vice-captains at Bethpage Black and are possible options for 2027 captaincy, where the United States look to end a run of seven consecutive away Ryder Cup defeats.
Furyk has held a backroom role in each of the last five Ryder Cups and has previous experience of captaining Team USA on European soil, having lost 17-11 at Le Golf National in 2018.
He was the United States captain in at the last Presidents Cup, where they defeated the International Team to extend their winning streak in the biennial event, with Bradley describing Furyk’s performance as “the best job I’ve ever seen done as captain”.
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Highlights from the final day of the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Quebec, Canada
Snedeker is Team USA’s Presidents Cup captain later this year, live from September 24-27 on Sky Sports, with many of his team at Medinah likely to feature again the following season at the Ryder Cup.
Simpson was described as a “natural leader” by Davis Love III when he was appointed as a Presidents Cup vice-captain for the 2022 edition, with his vice-captaincy role last year following three Ryder Cup appearances for Team USA.
New blood needed after back-to-back losses?
Former Open champion Stewart Cink previously expressed interest in the role, shortly after the first home Ryder Cup defeat – for either team – since Europe’s victory in the 2012 ‘Miracle of Medinah’.
“Heck yeah I’m interested in being the Ryder Cup captain,” Cink said in October. “I’d love to represent the United States and the players, take some of the experience that I’ve got and apply it and hopefully try to get this thing turned around.
“It feels like the Ryder Cup has been like a European party for about 15 years now or more. I’d like to change that.”
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Take a look at how Team Europe used virtual reality to prepare for the Ryder Cup
Justin Leonard is another former Ryder Cup winner with aspirations of taking on captaincy, having famously holed the winning putt in the 1999 contest, with Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee among those to back him for the role.
“Having a little bit of separation from today’s players, even though I know the guys from doing television, I think would be a good thing,” Leonard told Golf Channel on March 31. “Having a little separation as the captain would be an advantage to the job.”
Who else could be considered?
Steve Stricker remains the last American Ryder Cup-winning captain, having led Team USA to a record-breaking 19-9 win at Whistling Straits in 2021, with the 59-year-old also serving as vice-captain on four different occasions.
Fred Couples captained Team USA to three consecutive Presidents Cup wins from 2009-2013 but has never skippered in the Ryder Cup, despite holding a vice-captaincy role three times against Europe.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast after the 2025 Ryder Cup, Andrew Coltart and Rich Beem analysed Team USA’s captaincy options for the 2027 contest
Phil Mickelson was previously touted as a future Ryder Cup captain before joining LIV Golf, having made 12 consecutive appearances as a player, although has since ruled out any future involvement for Team USA.
The day after the 2025 defeat, Mickelson posted on X: “No rumours. My Ryder Cup involvement is over. I’m happy being a spectator and rooting for Team USA.”
Kevin Kisner and Gary Woodland were Bradley’s other vice-captains in the 2025 defeat, while Davis Love III and Zach Johnson have both captained Team USA over the past decade.
Bradley wasn’t offered Ryder Cup captaincy until June 2024 ahead of being announced the following month, with no deadline currently in place for the PGA of America to confirm who will take charge next.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
