24 hours ahead of the scheduled announcement, rumours are circulating that Tiger Woods will not be the Team USA Ryder Cup captain at Bethpage in 2025 as the 15-time major champions has turned down the role.
First reported by The Telegraph, the PGA of America, the governing body responsible for the U.S. side of the game’s most famed team competition, were unable to reach a deal with Woods who was widely believed to be in line to succeed Zach Johnson who oversaw the United States’ heavy defeat in Rome last September.
An eight-time Ryder Cup competitor, Woods told the press at the PGA Championship in Valhalla that he was still in talks with then PGA chief Seth Waugh who has since resigned from his role. Although Woods did cite his PGA Tour obligations, where he is involved with negotiations between the Tour, as a potential stumbling block.
“I’m dedicating so much time to what we’re doing with the PGA Tour, I don’t want to fulfill the role of the captaincy if I can’t do it,” he said.
“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.”
Luke Donald was announced as the man who would lead Team Europe for the second successive occasion back in December, and it is now believed that Stewart Cink is the frontrunner to square up opposite, with Fred Couples and Davis Love III also being touted as potential captains.
Cink was among Johnson’s vice-captains at Marco Simone, while Love III is a two-time Ryder Cup and one time Presidents Cup captain and Couples has twice taken the reigns in the Presidents Cup.