Tiger Woods gets Ryder Cup lifeline as Keegan Bradley breaks silence on Team USA snub

Paul5 months ago06 mins

Tiger Woods will not be the Team USA Ryder Cup captain in 2025 after deciding to turn down the role, but current skipper Keegan Bradley has offered him a route back into the competition

Team USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has stressed his desire for Tiger Woods “to be involved” in the 2025 tournament – following the legendary star’s refusal to take on the role of skipper.

The 15-time major winner was expected to lead America’s golfing squad into the competition at Bethpage Black Course. But in a sudden turn of events, the iconic figure announced that he won’t fill the vacancy left by previous captain Zach Johnson causing shocks across the sports world.

Johnson had witnessed a less than brilliant performance in Rome in 2023 as the American drought on European soil extended to an agonising 30 years. Despite this, Woods could not be convinced in due to other commitments hampering him from accepting the captaincy.

Now with Bradley taking the helm instead, we wait with bated breath for what his leadership will bring for Team USA in the coming era. As the Ryder Cup makes its return to the States, it seems he is open to Woods’ involvement – if the superstar golfer decides he wants in, that is.

Holding an impressive record of participation in eight Ryder Cup teams to his name, Woods definitely brings with him a wealth of experience. Speaking about involving Woods in future games, Bradley stated the 3M Open in Minnesota: “I’ve told Tiger that I want him to be as involved as he wants to be.”

“We didn’t. With the British Open going on, we’re not really chatting too much about that,” he continued, before confirming that the right time will come for him to talk with his compatriot. “We both have a job to do and I don’t want to bother Tiger with that. I think in the coming months – we’re still 14 months out here, so we’ve got a long time.”

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The door appears to have been left open for eight-time Ryder Cup appearance-maker Tiger Woods to appear for Team USA in 2025

Tiger Woods has been candid about the tough call he had to make regarding the Team USA captaincy offer. At the Open, the golf legend shared: “As for The decision was very difficult for me to make.”

“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. I told Seth (Waugh, the PGA of America retiring CEO) that I just didn’t feel like I could do the job properly.”

He elaborated: “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.”