Tiger Woods’ hopes of making a return to action anytime soon appear to have been dashed after the 15-time major champion confirmed that he had undergone back surgery last week.
It has been a frustrating year for Tiger Woods. Fans were given hope that he was doing well when he appeared to make it through the first season of TGL unscathed. Of course, playing 72 holes on a golf course is a different challenge altogether.
Unfortunately, Woods was expected to miss the rest of the year after undergoing Achilles surgery shortly after TGL concluded.
And the 49-year-old has suffered another setback, having undergone back surgery after learning that he had a collapsed disc.
With that, it appears that Woods is destined for another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Tiger Woods could still be in the hunt to become the next US Ryder Cup captain
Playing appearances at the Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship in December now look unlikely, while there is also doubt over the chances of him playing in the second season of TGL.
But some may be wondering whether the injury impacts the likelihood of Woods becoming the next US Ryder Cup captain.
Woods turned down the role before Keegan Bradley was appointed for Bethpage. But given his relationship with JP McManus, it appears that 2027 at Adare Manor may be the perfect stage for Woods to take on the job.
And speaking on Golf Central, Jaime Diaz insisted that he is not sure this injury will derail those plans if Woods does indeed want to take on the captaincy.
“I think next year would be the first year in between the next Ryder Cup and if he wants to do it, it’s in Ireland and is in a place where he’s very familiar with JP McManus and others, I think he still has plenty of time to do it,” he said.
“I think too much is made of the two year run up for captaincy. I don’t think he has to do a lot next year and if he is getting healthy and wants to do it, I think he can have a very productive Ryder Cup in 2027.”
Why Tiger Woods turned down the Ryder Cup captaincy for Bethpage
Much may depend on how long Woods is sidelined for. Bradley’s appointment was not confirmed until July 2024, so the PGA of America may not be looking to announce anything for some time yet.
Obviously, Woods will be devoting every second he can to getting back to full fitness. But perhaps this setback may make him taking the captaincy for 2027 even more likely.
Woods was involved in the merger talks with LIV Golf’s owners, the PIF. Meanwhile, he helped appoint Brian Rolapp as the new CEO of the PGA Tour. And shortly after Bradley was announced as the Ryder Cup captain, he explained why he turned down the role.
“With my new responsibilities to the Tour and time commitments involved, I felt like I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain,” he said.
“That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If and when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”
Woods will, unfortunately, have plenty of time on his hands in the coming weeks and months, it seems.
So perhaps that may provide the ideal opportunity to look at how Team USA can approach trying to win their first away Ryder Cup since 1993.
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