FARMINGDALE, NY. No sooner is the 45th Ryder Cup match in the rear-view mirror than the speculation has ramped up on who will Captain each side for the 2027 event to be played in Ireland.
When Bethpage was selected to host the PGA of America had a clear desire to have Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods serve in that role — likely for multiple Cup matches. However, Mickelson bolted for LIV Golf a few years back and it appears Lefty will not serve as Captain in the years ahead.
With Mickelson out of the picture the focal point turned to Tiger Woods. The senior leadership of the PGA of America painstakingly prolonged the ’25 announcement in the hope Woods would eventually say “yes” and skipper the team. That did not happen and the search for a replacement began in earnest and eventually Keegan Bradley was offered the position and he quickly accepted.
It seems unlikely Bradley will get another selection. Losing on home turf rarely provides another Captaincy – although Davis Love III was selected for the 2016 Hazeltine match even after his USA team squandered a four-point final day lead in losing in 2012 at Medinah.
Securing Woods will have another added enticing element, Tiger is good friends with the man who owns Adare Manor — J.P. McManus. Keep in mind, Woods has been a past participant in the McManus Pro-Am – held at Adare Manor.
The PGA of America will undoubtedly offer Woods the position again. Hard to envision Woods turning it down now given his star power attraction on both sides of the Atlantic. However, until there’s a firm “yes” from Woods it will behoove the leadership of the PGA of America to have a clear back-up plan.
The Europeans have a more interesting situation in dealing with the Captaincy of their squad.
Luke Donald came into the picture when LIV Golf essentially took off the consideration list a number of other players that likely were ahead of the Englishman.
Fortuitously, when those players opted to sign with LIV — the name of Donald became the most obvious choice.
Given that Donald has now led Team Euro to two consecutive wins, both home and road triumphs, something only previously accomplished by Tony Jacklin, it’s possible Donald could be asked to lead the squad for a third time. There is past precedent in which a few have served as Captain for three or more Cup matches – the most recent being Bernard Gallacher (1991-1995) and Jacklin (1983-1989).
If asked, it’s hard to envision Luke turning down the assignment. His calming presence and penchant to get even the smallest of details carried out correctly endeared him to his team.
Jon Rahm, who captured three points, was effusive in his praise for Donald. “There are so many things that Luke has done outstandingly professionally, so perfect,” said the two-time major winner.
The Spaniard added, “He (Donald) is the Captain of this ship, and he’s led us better than I can remember anybody leading us. He’s set the bar extremely high for the future captains.”
The decision is likely a twofold courtship. Donald brushed aside such talk immediately after the Bethpage success and wanted the focus to be on the win itself.
If Donald does not return for a third stint, then conversations will intensify on who will be the next candidate. That focus will likely shift to Justin Rose. The Englishman continues to play at a world class level; however, the 45-year-old will be 47 by the time the teams meet again at Adare Manor.
Will Rose still be a viable player at that time? That’s hard to say given whether Justin’s skill level maintains itself and if the competition for slots on the Euro side ramps up with promising younger player chomping at the bit for consideration.
The Captaincy of both teams sets a clear tone on how matters, large and small, are dealt with in the lead-up to the event. The Euros have put in place a solid plan that avoids disruption and focuses on the one element that matters most — winning.
The American side will need to have all key aspects in place long before the team heads across the pond in its attempt to end the winless road mark that stretches back to 1993.
If the PGA of America can land Woods early on the foundation will have a most critical decision made. How will Tiger fit in such an environment? He did Captain the 2019 match in Australia where the USA was victorious.
But a Ryder Cup match is a few notches beyond that.
It’s hard to envision Woods not wanting to Captain the USA at some point. Winning in Ireland and then returning to lead the team for the 2029 match in Minnesota would place his fingerprints beyond anything he accomplished when playing as a team member.
For Woods the intersection with actively playing golf remains an unknown situation given the sheer number of past surgeries. A USA Captaincy would be a fitting addition to his career.
But being selected Captain does not mean a team win is assured. Woods is well aware of that from his playing days. What many people do not realize is that Woods only played on one winning USA Ryder Cup team in 1999.
The dust of Bethpage will settle as the golf calendar concludes 2025 and heads into 2026.
One would imagine both sides announcing their respective Captains at some point in the first half of the new year.
Stay tuned.
Related: Donald’s Europe hang on to trump USA
Europe started the day with a seven point lead, they won by two.