For more than two decades, one of the biggest challenges USA Ryder Cup captains faced was finding the formula to get the very best out of Tiger Woods.
It is fair to say that the Ryder Cup rarely saw the best of Tiger Woods. His Presidents Cup record was outstanding, but he ended up losing 21 of his 37 Ryder Cup matches during his career.
Some captains had better luck than others when it came to getting great performances out of Woods. Hal Sutton paid the price for pairing Woods and Phil Mickelson together in 2004 as they lost both matches they played together. They would never be paired again in the event.
But what probably would not help is if Woods felt that the PGA of America had picked the wrong man to captain the team in the first place.
When Tiger Woods felt the PGA of America picked the wrong captain for the USA Ryder Cup team
Given Woods’ impact on the game, it would have been no surprise if he was consulted from an early age regarding who he would like to see take charge heading into each Ryder Cup.
While that may not have impacted the final choices made; clearly, the PGA of America would have been wise to listen to their star player – particularly as it became clear early on that Woods was something of an enigma in these matches.
And given the record defeat of 2004, it would have made even more sense to speak to the likes of Woods and Phil Mickelson to see who they would like to see lead the team at The K Club in 2006. However, it seems that that may not have happened.
It was Tom Lehman who got the role. But speaking to ESPN shortly after the announcement, Woods admitted that he wanted to see Mark O’Meara get the gig.
“He is a good choice,” Woods said. “But he would have been a good choice for America four years from now. Timing wise, I just thought this was Mark’s only chance.”
Interestingly, Woods and Lehman would be paired together for the final round of the 2005 Buick Invitational – an event Woods would win by three shots. And speaking after that round, he would reiterate his preference for his good friend to have led the team in Ireland.
“I mean, he’s the Ryder Cup captain. They asked me my opinion about how did I feel about Mark not being picked. And Mark is my buddy. I felt Tom would be a great captain and is going to be a great captain, but I thought it was Mark’s shot, especially in Ireland. It was his heritage. It’s just like it would be a perfect fit to have Woosie in Wales, Celtic Manor. There are certain, I thought, in my opinion, certain people for certain venues,” he said.
When Tiger Woods may take on the Ryder Cup captaincy himself
If Woods was upset at the decision, he did not let it impact his golf game that week. He won three points from five matches to finish as USA’s leading points scorer. Unfortunately, Lehman was much less successful as they were once again beaten 18.5-9.5 by Europe.
Woods had the chance to take on the captaincy for Bethpage for later this year. However, Woods turned down the role as Keegan Bradley then got the surprise call.
It will be interesting to know whether Woods feels a sense of unfinished business for his friend, with the 2027 Ryder Cup returning to Ireland, as Adare Manor prepares to host the event.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
