Tiger Woods opens up on ‘very difficult’ Ryder Cup decision that led to shocking backup plan

TROON, Scotland — Tiger Woods, in his first public comments Tuesday since turning down the U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black, strongly endorsed Keegan Bradley, who was chosen in his place .

Woods also explained his reasoning for not accepting the post at this time, while stating that he has plans to put his hat in the ring for a future captaincy, possibly 2027 in Ireland.

“The decision was very difficult for me to make,’’ Woods said. “My time has been so loaded with the [PGA] 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 outgoing CEO of the PGA of America] that I just didn’t feel like I could do the job properly,’’ Woods went on. “I couldn’t devote the time. I barely had enough time to do what I’m doing right now (playing), 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 [with LIV Golf], all that concurrently going on at exactly the same time, there’s only so many hours in the day. I just didn’t feel like I would be doing the captaincy or the players in Team USA justice if I was the captain with everything that I have to do.’’

Woods seems like a virtual certainty to captain the 2027 U.S. team for a number of reasons.

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Firstly, he’s expressed the desire to do so one day.

Secondly, he’ll want to do it while he’s still at least in some way a contemporary of the current players.

And thirdly, he has a strong relationship with J.P. McManus, the owner of Adare Manor in Ireland, where the ’27 Ryder Cup will be played.

That would set him up with a chance to be a hero captain and end Europe’s dominance on European soil, where the Americans haven’t won since 1993.

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“I’ll put my hat in the ring again when I have more time and I feel like I can devote myself to a Ryder Cup,’’ Woods said. “As of right now, I’ve got so many different things I’m juggling and trying to get right at the same time for all the players that are a part of the PGA Tour. It’s one of those things where you just can’t get it wrong.’’

Jon Rahm, who’s Spanish, took note of the passion in which the Scottish fans rooted for Spain and against England in the UEFA Euro 2024 final on Sunday, which Spain won .

“I noticed that [Monday],’’ he said. “I played all 18 holes and I think I got more congratulations for something that I didn’t do than I ever have in my life. I don’t know what [England] has done, but anytime anybody plays against the English national team, every other country in Europe just unifies against them. I don’t know why or what they’ve done. I’m not aware of the history.’’

Rahm said he watched the final with his LIV Golf teammate Tyrrell Hatton, who’s English, and was animated in his country’s defeat.

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Much was made after Bryson DeChambeau won the U.S. Open and Rory McIlroy bolted Pinehurst in a huff of disappointment without congratulating him.

McIlroy, the following day, released a statement on social media congratulating DeChambeau. And on Monday, he got to do it in person on the Troon practice grounds.

“I said hello to him and we talked and he said congrats,’’ DeChambeau revealed Tuesday. “So everything’s great there. He’s a fierce competitor. I know he’s going to give the fans, give everybody as much as he can this week. I’m going to be doing the same. We’re going to be competing. Hopefully it will be another good battle.’’

Although the PGA Tour player policy board voted to invite Woods into the “signature’’ events on the tour schedule even though he’s not qualified on points, Woods on Tuesday said he’s flattered by the gesture but is adamant about not taking a spot from a player who’d qualified.

“That was nice of them to do that,’’ Woods said. “I told them if I was going to get that exemption, I wasn’t going to take away the last player’s spot. Even though it’s nice of them to do that and ask me to play more often and have that ability to play ‘signature’ events, these guys have earned their spots, and I’m not going to take that spot away. But if I can be included somehow, that would be great.’’

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