Is Tiger Woods the Ryder Cup captain for 2025? Why golfer turned down opportunity to lead Team USA

Team USA's strategy in selecting a Ryder Cup captain throughout the event's history has been simple.

The PGA of America has typically selected a proven, veteran golfer to guide the squad in competition against Europe. It's expected to do the same in 2025.

That's why many believed Tiger Woods would have been a sensible target for the role.

Woods, 48, isn't the golfer he once was, but he still commands plenty of attention when he takes the course. Injuries from his career and a car accident in February 2021 have sapped some of his strength and mobility, but he still tees it up several times a year on the PGA Tour.

At his peak, Woods was one of the greatest golfers of all time, winning 15 majors and 82 events on the PGA Tour. He also participated in the Ryder Cup eight times, so his experience in that event would make him an ideal fit as a potential captain.

But is Woods going to the Ryder Cup again in 2025? Here's what to know about his status for the biennial tournament between teams from Europe and the United States.

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Is Tiger Woods the Ryder Cup captain for 2025?

It doesn't appear that Woods is going to be the Ryder Cup captain in 2025, but it's by his own decision, The Telegraph reported Monday. He turned down the opportunity to take on the role.

Why didn't Woods want to be the Ryder Cup captain? It was all about the commitment that came with the position, The Telegraph reports.

It is understood that Woods was prepared to take on the role if the PGA of America — which oversees the US arm of the biennial dust-up — reduced the normal captaincy commitments ahead of the match. But no deal was evidently reached and with the clock ticking, they were forced to look elsewhere.

The Telegraph also cited Woods' involvement in PGA Tour negotiations with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) — the financial arm of LIV Golf — as "time-exhaustive," so taking those on along with the captaincy could have proved difficult.

Woods' decision is understandable. Not only is he involved in those key PGA Tour negotiations, but it also takes him great effort to continue playing golf at the professional level given his injuries. Adding another responsibility to his plate could impact that, which would be less than ideal.

Perhaps the circumstances will change for Woods in the future if the PGA Tour and PIF figure something out. Even so, the Ryder Cup captain responsibilities will go to someone else in 2025.

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Who will be the 2025 Ryder Cup captain?

Keegan Bradley is expected to be named the U.S. team captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup captain on Tuesday, as reported by the Telegraph and by Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig.

Bradley has played in the Ryder Cup twice before and has a record of 4-2 in his six matches. He was notably left off the 12-man team in 2023 despite ranking 11th in the standings, as captain Zach Johnson bypassed him in favor of Rickie Fowler (13th) and Justin Thomas (15th).

Naming Bradley team captain after his snub will create another dramatic storyline for golf fans to follow, but the 19th-ranked golfer in the world is qualified for the position. He simply doesn't fit the mold of recent captain picks like Tom Watson, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson, all of whom have been in the later stages of their careers.

Still, Bradley's Ryder Cup experience should make him an effective leader at the USA looks for a bounce-back at Bethpage following its 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 thrashing at Europe's hands in 2023.

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USA Ryder Cup captain by year

Below is a breakdown of Team USA's Ryder Cup captain each year, dating back to the first time the event was held in 1927.

Bradley seems poised to join that list in the not-so-distant future. It remains unclear whether Tiger Woods will ever join it.