Keegan Bradley’s 2025 Ryder Cup captaincy has left question marks over the future of Team USA, and Tiger Woods rumours are surfacing.
Keegan Bradley was spared the embarrassment of a home humiliation by an inspired Sunday comeback by his team, but his Ryder Cup was littered with costly mistakes.
Collin Morikawa’s partnership with Harris English for both mornings, Bradley’s confusion about the envelope rule, and his setup of Bethpage Black are just a few examples of the errors that may well have cost the Americans a Ryder Cup win.
Bradley’s selection as captain was surprising when it was first announced. As an active player, he was close to automatically qualifying for Team USA in the build-up to the Ryder Cup.
Tiger Woods was the obvious choice, but he didn’t accept the role for 2025. Johnson Wagner thinks he knows why and has heard exciting things about Woods ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup.
Johnson Wagner has heard Tiger Woods wants to be Ryder Cup captain
Bradley’s performance as Team USA captain will likely see him out of the role for Adare Manor in 2027. That begs the question: Who will replace him?
Wagner, speaking to Fried Egg Golf, thinks Woods wants the role. He said, “I don’t know why Tiger didn’t do Bethpage, I have heard rumours I am not going to bring up. I have heard he wants to do Adare Manor, possibly.
“I think he would way rather go abroad and be the first captain to win on foreign soil since 1993, than he would to have been a home captain where he’s supposed to win.
“I think the obvious answer is that we need Tiger. I think Tiger would be a great captain. Let’s face it, he has got the time to devote. He has got the team in place to get the right data. We need Tiger.
“Beyond that, I think we are looking at a great lineage. I think we are in a better spot than Europe if we are looking 10 years down the line with Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
“We have some really good captains coming up in the future, but we are in this void that Tiger left and LIV left, so we are in a void right now, and I think we desperately need Tiger to be the captain next time.”
Woods had an abysmal Ryder Cup record as a player, winning only one during his esteemed career. But what made him a poor performer as a player at the event, could well make him an incredible captain.
Tiger Woods’ aura would help him as Ryder Cup captain
Scottie Scheffler theorised that Woods’ aura hurt him as a playing partner at the Ryder Cup. The spotlight followed Woods wherever he went, and his teammate often seemed intimidated by the additional intensity.
But as captain, that’s exactly what Team USA needs. Not only would everybody involved in Team USA hang on Woods’ every word, excluding any doubt as to who is calling the shots, all of the pressure and interest would lie on his shoulders.
Woods is used to that. Every camera has been trained on him since he burst onto the scene in the late 90s. He has handled the pressure of the magnifying glass for years and won 15 majors in the process.
All eyes and ears would be on Woods, allowing his players to focus solely on golf. The spotlight that followed him as a player can help him as a captain.
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