Tiger Woods says Ryder Cup captaincy talks will have to wait
The favourite to lead the American charge at Bethpage Black will sit down with PGA of America chiefs after the Masters
We’ll have to wait a little longer to learn if Tiger Woods will take the USA into Ryder Cup battle at Bethpage Black.
He may be the bookies’ favourite to lead the charge to reclaim Sam Ryder’s famous trophy in 2026, but the 15-time major winner said he will keep the PGA of America waiting until after the Masters before anything is decided.
Asked what his current position was on the role, Woods said: “We’re still talking about it.”
Pressed on whether the decision was linked to how much golf he would be able to play – having previously outlined ambitions to play once a month – the 5-time green jacket holder added: “It’s something that Seth (Waugh, PGA of America CEO) and I are going to sit back and talk about it after this event.
“I said, ‘I’m going to be busy for a couple of weeks, so let me focus on getting through this week and hopefully getting another jacket and then we can sit back and talk about it next week.”
Woods had an indifferent Ryder Cup record as a player, winning 13 matches, losing 21 and halving three, across eight appearances.
But he served as a vice-captain in the successful American team at Hazeltine in 2016 and then led, as a playing captain, the team that beat Ernie Els’ International side at Royal Melbourne five years ago.
Having won the trophy back for Europe in Rome last autumn, Luke Donald has agreed to carry on at Bethpage. Europe will be looking to win on American soil for the first time since the Miracle of Medinah in 2012.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
