British Open 2024: Tiger Woods explains why he turned down Ryder Cup captaincy

Why Tiger Woods Turned Down Ryder Cup Captaincy

TROON, Scotland — In a surprising twist, Tiger Woods revealed he declined the chance to captain the United States Ryder Cup team, deeming it a “disservice” to the American players and the prestigious event.

 

Woods, at 48, was widely expected to lead the American squad for the 2025 match at Bethpage Black. Both Woods and former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh had acknowledged ongoing discussions about Woods’ potential role. However, last week, the golf world was stunned when Keegan Bradley was announced as the American captain instead.

 

Ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Troon, Woods addressed the media, explaining that his commitments with the PGA Tour’s negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund left him with no choice but to decline the offer.

 

“The decision was very difficult for me to make,” Woods confessed. “My time has been so loaded with the tour and everything we’re trying to accomplish. I’m on so many different subcommittees that it just takes so much time in the day, and I’m always on calls.”

 

Woods emphasized his inability to commit fully to the role: “I told Seth that I just didn’t feel like I could do the job properly. I couldn’t devote the time. I barely had enough time to do what I’m doing right now, and add in the TGL starts next year, as well as the Ryder Cup. You add all that together and then with our negotiations with the PIF, all that concurrently going on at exactly the same time, there’s only so many hours in the day. I just didn’t feel like I would be doing the captaincy or the players in Team USA justice if I was the captain with everything that I have to do.”

 

Expressing his support for Bradley, Woods stated, “He’s very passionate about what he does. He’s very passionate about the event. I think that this is going to be probably a turnover year for us for the captaincies, whether it’s the captain itself and his vice captains. I think this is the natural progression, one we’ve been looking forward to, and I think it’s that year.”

 

When asked if he would serve as an assistant to Bradley, Woods revealed that Bradley had not extended such an invitation.

 

Having led the Presidents Cup team in 2019, Woods is now a potential candidate to captain the Americans at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. Nevertheless, Woods remains non-committal about future roles.

 

“I’ll put my hat in the ring again when I have more time and I feel like I can devote myself to a Ryder Cup,” Woods remarked. “As of right now, I’ve got so many different things I’m juggling and trying to get right at the same time for all the players that are a part of the PGA Tour. It’s one of those things where you just can’t get it wrong.”

 

### The Inside Story: Why Tiger Woods Said No to Ryder Cup Captaincy

 

TROON, Scotland — In a move that shocked the golfing community, Tiger Woods has revealed why he declined the opportunity to captain the United States Ryder Cup team, stating it would have been a “disservice” to the players and the event itself.

 

Woods, now 48, had been the frontrunner to lead the American team for the 2025 match at Bethpage Black. Both Woods and former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh had publicly discussed Woods’ potential captaincy. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, Keegan Bradley was named as the American captain last week.

 

Speaking ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Troon, Woods cited his obligations with the PGA Tour’s negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as the main reason for his decision.

 

“The decision was very difficult for me to make,” Woods admitted. “My time has been so loaded with the tour and everything and what we’re trying to accomplish. I’m on so many different subcommittees that it just takes so much time in the day, and I’m always on calls.”

 

He continued, “I told Seth that I just didn’t feel like I could do the job properly. I couldn’t devote the time. I barely had enough time to do what I’m doing right now, and add in the TGL starts next year, as well as the Ryder Cup. You add all that together and then with our negotiations with the PIF, all that concurrently going on at exactly the same time, there’s only so many hours in the day. I just didn’t feel like I would be doing the captaincy or the players in Team USA justice if I was the captain with everything that I have to do.”

 

Woods voiced his support for Bradley, saying, “He’s very passionate about what he does. He’s very passionate about the event. I think that this is going to be probably a turnover year for us for the captaincies, whether it’s the captain itself and his vice captains. I think this is the natural progression, one we’ve been looking forward to, and I think it’s that year.”

 

When asked about possibly serving as an assistant to Bradley, Woods disclosed that Bradley had not approached him with such an offer.

 

Woods, who captained the Presidents Cup team in 2019, is now a leading candidate for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. Despite this, Woods remains cautious about future commitments.

 

“I’ll put my hat in the ring again when I have more time and I feel like I can devote myself to a Ryder Cup,” Woods said. “As of right now, I’ve got so many different things I’m juggling and trying to get right at the same time for all the players that are a part of the PGA Tour. It’s one of those things where you just can’t get it wrong.”