Tiger Woods seems unlikely to go back on his 2024 verdict of rejecting the Team US Ryder Cup captaincy even after Keegan Bradley continues to impress on the PGA Tour
Keegan Bradley (L) is set to captain the US at the 2025 Ryder Cup after Tiger Woods declined(Image: Getty Images)
All of a sudden, Keegan Bradley could be back in for a playing role at the 2025 Ryder Cup after the US Captain pulled off an impressive comeback victory over Tommy Fleetwood at the Travelers Championship this weekend.
No golfer has both captained a team and played in the competition since Arnold Palmer in 1963, leading many to call for Tiger Woods to return to US golf and take the reins.
Last July, the 15-time major champion was offered an opportunity to captain his country at the Ryder Cup. However, Woods cited his new responsibilities as the player director on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board as a deterrent.
“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,” Woods said in a statement.
“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 captained the US team at the 2018 Presidents Cup. He also owns a rich history at Bethpage Black (the site of the 2025 Ryder Cup), having captured the 2002 US Open there.
Woods celebrates his 2022 US Open win at Bethpage Black(Image: Getty Images)
Bradley was narrowly omitted from the 2023 US Ryder Cup side. The 2011 PGA Championship winner now boasts two wins in the last 10 months (including his 2024 BMW Championship win).
“I mean, listen, this [winning] changes the story a little bit,” Bradley said Sunday after winning the Travelers. “I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won. This definitely opens the door to play.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to do it or not, but I certainly have to take a pretty hard look at what’s best for the team and we’ll see. It’s still June, so we’ve still got a long way to go.
Former South African golfer Trevor Immelman said on the CBS broadcast that he thinks Bradley serving double-duty at the Ryder Cup would be a mistake.
“In my opinion, there is just no way that you could be a captain nowadays of a Ryder Cup or a Presidents Cup and play,” he admitted. “”There are so many responsibilities at the feet of the captain. So many decisions that have to be made before the tournament and then during the week.
“You want your players to be single-minded, focused on themselves. To be focused on the high-pressure situation they are in….But now you’ve got a guy in Keegan Bradley, who absolutely should be playing.”
