Tiger Woods’ record when Presidents Cup captain may warn the USA off appointing him for the Ryder Cup

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Golf fans have been busy debating who should be the next United States Ryder Cup captain since their defeat to Europe at Bethpage Black.

Keegan Bradley was an interesting choice by the PGA of America, considering he is still an active PGA Tour player, and it is fair to say that it did not work.

The USA will now probably revert to a more traditional selection of an older player no longer competing on the Tour for Adare Manor in 2027.

The most popular choice would be Tiger Woods, whose return to competitive golf has been further delayed by lower back surgery.

He previously captained the USA to victory at the 2019 Presidents Cup, but that actually was not an impressive feat.

Here is why the PGA of America should look at Woods’ Presidents Cup captaincy as a reason not to make him Bradley’s replacement. 

• READ MORE: The ‘creative idea’ Tiger Woods had in 2014 after back surgery to ensure he could still improve at golf in his garden

Why Tiger Woods’ Presidents Cup captaincy was not successful

Tiger Woods and the United States did win the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, but that does not tell the full story.

The USA always have a much stronger lineup than the International team, and that was certainly the case six years ago.

But despite having four top-10 players in the world rankings (Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, and Xander Schauffele), the USA were behind heading into the Sunday singles.

The USA lost the two fourball sessions by a combined 6.5 to 2.5, suggesting that Woods got his pairings completely wrong.

Last four Presidents Cup results

Similar to the 2025 Ryder Cup, the USA dominated the singles, but that is the session where the captain is by far the least involved.

Woods eventually led his team to a 16-14 win over the International team, the narrowest victory in the last four editions of the competition.

Not every great player makes a great captain, and Woods has unfortunately done nothing to suggest that he would change the United States’ Ryder Cup fortunes.

Tiger Woods should try Presidents Cup captaincy again before Ryder Cup

It would be too harsh to rule Tiger Woods out of ever becoming a successful Ryder Cup captain, but there is no evidence to suggest that he would be right now.

Especially with his ongoing return to full fitness after his injury troubles, he probably needs more time before he takes on such a challenge.

Perhaps a better idea would be to give him another chance to captain the Presidents Cup team first, with the objective of a more convincing victory.

Brandt Snedeker is already lined up to be the USA captain at the 2026 Presidents Cup, so Woods could take the reins in 2028.

Assuming that goes well, this would set him up perfectly to take charge at the Ryder Cup on home soil at Hazeltine in 2029.