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Tiger Woods Not Ruling Out Future USA Ryder Cup Captaincy After Rejecting 2025 Offer

Joseph Zucker

Tiger Woods didn't shut the door on captaining the United States in the Ryder Cup at some point in the future after ruling himself out for the 2025 installment.

"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 read by PGA of America senior director Julius Mason (via Sean Leahy of Yahoo Sports). "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."

Despite no longer being the preeminent talent in golf, the 15-time major champion remains in a class by himself in terms of star power. Plenty of fans held out hope he would be involved in the next Ryder Cup.

Woods acknowledged in May it was a topic of conversation.

"We're still talking," he told reporters. "There's nothing that has been confirmed yet. We're still working on what that might look like — also whether or not I have the time to do it."

In addition to competing in eight Ryder Cups, Woods was a vice captain in 2016 when the United States beat Europe at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Having him lead the U.S. next fall would've been a major coup.

Instead, Keegan Bradley will take the reins.

As Woods alluded to, he has assumed a larger leadership role within the PGA Tour amid its protracted merger with LIV Golf. The 48-year-old was named a vice chairman for PGA Tour Enterprises in March.

The Telegraph reported in May the continued negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV might preclude Woods from accepting any official role on the United States Ryder Cup team.

A resolution will have presumably arrived by the time the 2027 Ryder Cup rolls around, at which point the U.S. captaincy might be much more realistic for the golf legend.

   

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