TROON, Scotland — Tiger Woods said it was hard to turn down the opportunity to captain next year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he had to do so because of myriad other commitments.
Two-time Ryder Cup player Keegan Bradley will captain the US when they face the European team at the Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale, New York, on September 26-28, 2025.
“Well, it was a very difficult decision for me to make,” Woods said Tuesday while preparing for the Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club. “My time has been so busy with the tour and everything and what we’re trying to accomplish. I’m on so many different subcommittees that it takes up so much time in the day, and I’m always on call.”
Woods, 48, is vice chairman of the board of directors of PGA Tour Enterprises and a member of its transactions committee, which is handling day-to-day negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund about the potential multibillion-dollar investment. Woods is also a player director on the PGA Tour’s policy board.
Woods and Rory McIlroy are also the leading figures for TGL presented by SoFi, a tech-enabled golf league with its inaugural season scheduled to begin on January 7.
“I didn’t feel like I could do the job properly,” Woods said. “I couldn’t dedicate the time. I didn’t have enough time to do what I’m doing now, and also have to include the TGL starting next year as well as the Ryder Cup. You can’t put them all together. Add that and then with our interactions with PIF, it’s all going on simultaneously at exactly the same time, there are only so many hours in the day.
“I didn’t feel like if I was captain doing everything I had to do, I would be able to do justice to the captaincy or to the players on Team USA.”
Woods said he has not talked to Bradley about being one of his vice-captains.
“I think Keegan is going to be a great leader,” Woods said. “He’s very passionate about what he does. He’s very passionate about organizing. I think it’s probably going to be a turnover year for us in terms of captaincy, whether it’s the captain himself or his vice-captain. I “It feels like this natural progression that we’ve been waiting for, and I think this is the year.”
Woods has not ruled out becoming Ryder Cup captain in the future. The 2027 event will be played at Adare Manor Golf Course in Ireland, which is owned by his friend JP McManus.
This will be Woods’ first tournament at Royal Troon since finishing ninth at the 2004 Open Championship. He missed the 2016 tournament while recovering from a back injury.
Woods will play the first two rounds with PGA Championship winners Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. They will participate in the first round on Thursday at 9:37 a.m. ET; They’ll begin the second round Friday at 4:25 a.m. ET.
The 15-time major champion has completed only nine competitive rounds on tour this season. He was forced to withdraw from February’s Genesis Invitational after one round due to illness. At the Masters, he set a tournament record with his 24th consecutive cut and finished tied for 60th. He had missed the cut in his last two starts at the PGA Championship and the US Open.
“I’ve been training a lot better,” Woods said. “We’ve been working pretty hard in the gym, which has been good. Being able to do things like that is making the body feel better, and that means being able to hit the ball better. Not quite out there. I can stay out there during practice sessions as long as I want, but I’ve been able to do some things I haven’t done all year, which is good.”
When Woods was asked how long he would keep playing, he said: “I’ll play as long as I can, and I think I can still win tournaments.”
Earlier this week, Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie told The Times of London that it was time for Woods to retire from competitive golf.
“Are we not there? I would have thought we passed there,” Montgomery said. “There’s a time for all players to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go. Obviously, he still thinks he can win. We’re more realistic.”
Woods was asked about Montgomery’s comments Tuesday. Woods said that as a three-time winner of the Claret Jug, he is eligible to play in The Open until he is 60. Montgomery finished runner-up five times in a major, but never won one of the big four.
“Well, as a past champion, I have an exemption until age 60,” Woods said. “Colin doesn’t. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So, he doesn’t get the opportunity to make this decision. I do.”
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