Tiger Woods had a very good reason to pass on the Ryder Cup opportunity. The former World No. 1 clarified his Ryder Cup stance in an official statement. The 15-time major champion is juggling a lot of things, especially with the ongoing merger negotiations. It’s a time crunch that prevented him from taking the job. But the 48-year-old didn’t rule out a return in the future. 

Tiger Woods wrote, “With my new responsibilities to the [PGA] Tour and time commitments involved I felt I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain. That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If/when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”

Woods is one of the six-player directors involved in shaping the future of the PGA Tour. Moreover, the 15-time major champion is also part of the Transaction Committee, overseeing the day-to-day progress. Earlier, Rory McIlroy, a g member of the same group, revealed they connect with PIF officials two-three times every week. 

On top of that, Woods is at a crucial juncture in his career. Post his ankle surgery the veteran has only competed in three majors and the Hero World Challenge; he pulled out of the Genesis Invitational due to influenza. 

The former world no.1 is in a transition phase where he is figuring out how to adapt to his physical restrictions. His ankle doesn’t move the way it used to, which results in more weight on his lower back. That, in turn, prolongs his post-tournament recovery period.

Nevertheless, Woods’s willingness to take up the Ryder Cup captaincy later, hints that he is looking for a more favorable opportunity. Perhaps in 2027, when Ryder Cup travels to Adare Manor. Oddly enough, not everyone wants to see him as captain even then. 

Why fans don’t want Tiger Woods to captain Team USA

Tiger Woods has represented the Stars and Stripes eight times in his career, winning only once, in 1999. Woods played 37 matches, where he won 13 times, lost 21 matches, and halved 3. Woods’s last Ryder Cup appearance came in 2018. A section of netizens don’t believe Tiger Woods would add much value to the team. One user wrote, “We don’t want him.” 

Notably, the 48-year-old captained Team USA to a 2019 Presidents Cup triumph. In fact, Tiger Woods, kicked into the motion the famed Patrick Cantlay – Xander Schauffele pairing. Still, not everyone is convinced of his leadership skills. 

One of them tweeted, “Tiger as captain, easy win for Europe. Outside of playing everything Tiger does turns to s***.” Some of them point to the delayed negotiations as an indication of Woods’s inefficiency as a leader. “They began ‘negotiating’ the Framework agreement in late 2022…. Now, those continued negotiations impacts (sic) an event occurring in late 2025…. Wow.”

Others believe Woods wanted to stay above the politics of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. They assume the 82-time PGA Tour winner wanted to play safe. By the next Ryder Cup in 2027, the LIV-PGA Tour divide is likely to be a thing of the past. “In other words he wants 2 wait till LIV & pga merge then captain a winning team w/o all the politics,” one user tweeted.

Interestingly, some also grabbed the opportunity to blast Sun Day Red, Woods’s new apparel line. Previously, ‘sold-out’ Sun Day Red products were selling at double and triple the price at third-party e-commerce platforms like eBay. One user mocked, “I am laser-focused on selling overpriced polos with a shi**y logo and building a new tennis bubble for our simulator league. And playing 3 tournaments per year. One man can only do so much.”

While Tiger Woods was the favorite pick among veteran golfers, the fans don’t share that sentiment. Interestingly, Keegan Bradley, the new Ryder Cup captain, said the former world no.1 could get involved in any way he wanted. Bradley is willing to take advice from the 48-year-old.