Tiger Woods has been told it is down to him how involved he is in the Ryder Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Tiger Woods turned down the chance to captain Team USA in the 2025 Ryder Cup but has been told by captain Keegan Bradley he can be as involved as he wants
Keegan Bradley, the newly appointed captain for Team USA at the 2025 Ryder Cup, has given Tiger Woods the green light to decide his level of involvement in the event. Despite being a top pick to lead the team at Bethpage Black next September, Woods declined the captaincy.
Bradley, before saying yes to the captain’s role, reached out to Woods for his approval. While discussing potential vice-captains, a less demanding role that Woods could consider given his cited time constraints, Bradley emphasized his desire for Woods’ presence, though no decisions have been made yet.
“When it comes to Tiger, I have told him he can be as involved as he wants to be,” Bradley shared. “We haven’t talked about vice-captains, I haven’t talked vice-captains with really anybody.”
Bradley highlighted the reverence players have for Woods and the significant influence he has behind the scenes.
He said: “We as players, we all look up to Tiger and his opinion means a lot to us. Being in team rooms with Tiger, the public doesn’t realize how important this is to him. It’s everything.
“He lives and breaths this event, and I think it shows you how much he cares by turning this position down, because he didn’t feel like he could put in what he needed to do with all his responsibilities with what’s going on with the tour.
“Before I accepted this job, I needed to talk to Tiger. I wanted to make sure, I wanted to hear from him, and we had a great conversation. I certainly need his input.”
Bradley confesses he was taken aback himself when he found out Woods wouldn’t be assuming the captaincy. However, the greatest golfer of all time has been proactive in offering support and guidance, with the two already frequently communicating.
“I’ve spoken to Tiger a bunch,” Bradley said. “I spoke to him this morning on the phone. He’s been very helpful. Tiger has always been really helpful to me and he’s a great voice to here. He’s been reaching out to me and helping me which has been amazing.”
