In the 2025 season, Team Europe will return with Luke Donald as the captain again, following their scintillating victory over the American team at Marco Simone in 2023. Interestingly, Zach Johnson, the Team USA captain from the previous edition, will not be returning to the post, leaving the captain’s seat vacant for anyone interested.

Among the potential candidates, the most renowned golfer considering taking responsibility is the 8-time Ryder Cup participant, Tiger Woods. However, the 48-year-old has not confirmed his captaincy for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage due to time constraints. Woods cited his commitments on the PGA Tour as a Player Director and vice chairman of PGA Tour Enterprise as reasons for potentially passing on the opportunity.

“I don’t want to not fulfill the role of the captaincy if I can’t do it,” Woods said. Despite much speculation, Jason Sobel, host of PGA Tour’s Sirius XM Radio, revealed that while nothing has been confirmed publicly, the captain’s announcement will be made soon, and it might not be the fans’ preferred candidate—potentially not Tiger Woods.

The American side has already announced John Wood as the manager for the 2025 Team USA, suggesting that the captaincy announcement might come sooner than expected. With these developments, fans have voiced their preferences for the golf world, hoping for a change in leadership.

Golf fans want Phil Mickelson as the 2025 Ryder Cup captain

In early January 2024, Phil Mickelson gave an exclusive interview on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, explaining why he wouldn’t be the right fit to captain the Ryder Cup at New York’s Bethpage. The 53-year-old cited his move to LIV Golf, which has divided opinions and led to hostility from many PGA Tour pros.

Despite Mickelson’s extensive Ryder Cup experience—12 times as a player and once as a vice-captain—he opted out from the captaincy. Despite this, some fans expressed strong support, with one stating, “Obviously we need Phil.” Even with Mickelson’s decision and Tiger Woods taking time to decide, most golf fans were fixated on these two. One fan even threatened the Ryder Cup and said, “If it’s not Phil or at least Tiger, we BOYCOTT.” 

Another fan favorite mentioned if Woods doesn’t take the role is Stewart Cink. He served as vice-captain for Zach Johnson at the 2023 Ryder Cup and has shown keen interest in captaining the 2025 edition. He said, “I do want to be the captain and think I can be… I know I can do it. And I know I would love to do it. Especially after being an assistant at the last Ryder Cup.” Thus, this user commented, “Cink or Tiger I’m guessing.”

Team USA’s loss against Europe at Marco Simone in Italy was devastating. The team’s lack of camaraderie was apparent as they fell with an 11.5-16.5 scoreline, failing to break their curse of not winning on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry. Many in the golf world blamed Johnson’s captaincy for the disappointing result. Echoing this sentiment, a golf enthusiast remarked, “Anyone but Zach!”

Among the veteran names being considered, fans from LIV Golf also suggested Patrick Reed, renowned as ‘Captain America’ for his Ryder Cup heroics in 2016. One fan insisted, “P. Reed is the only answer we will accept.” Reed has participated in three Ryder Cups (2014, 2016, and 2018) and was part of the winning team in 2016, where he defeated Rory McIlroy in singles. Given his experience, many fans find him a suitable successor to Johnson.

Numerous other contenders are vying for the Ryder Cup captaincy, including former captains Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, and Fred Couples—who led the President’s Cup team in 2009, 2011, and 2013. Additionally, there’s hope for Matt Kuchar, whose sentiments align with Woods and Mickelson. While the captaincy remains unconfirmed, fans eagerly anticipate an exciting addition to the 2025 Ryder Cup leadership.