Tiger Woods has been named as the frontrunner to captain the US Ryder Cup team for the 2027 event at Adare Manor.
Woods, despite his legendary status, hasn’t had a stellar record in the competition. But even with that, there’s no question about what it means to him.
The US have their eyes on Ireland, where they’re hoping to pick up their first road win since 1993. And according to reports, Tiger is the PGA of America’s top pick for the job.
And then on Tuesday, he responded when asked if he’d spoken with them about the role.
“They have asked me for my input on it,” Tiger explained. “I haven’t made my decision yet. I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour. That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our team, our Team USA and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup, if I can do it justice with my time.”
Woods continued: “Serving on two boards and what I’m doing for the PGA TOUR, I’m trying to figure out if I can actually do this and serve the people that are involved and serve them at an honourable level.”
The real question now is how long will they wait before appointing someone? And will Tiger be given all the time he needs before making a decision?
PGA urged to set clear deadline for Tiger Woods’ Ryder Cup decision
The 2027 Ryder Cup could be a huge moment for the United States. It’s been more than three decades since their last win on European soil, and they’ve come out on top in just four of the past 12 contests.
So, is Tiger Woods the right choice to turn things around? That remains to be seen, but Ryan Lavner believes a firm deadline needs to be established.
Speaking on The Golf Channel Podcast with Rex and Lav, Lavner shared his thoughts following Woods’ press conference.
Lavner spoke about how familiar this all sounds: “It certainly is amazing, and I have to say, it sounded almost exactly like what we heard in the spring and early summer of 2024.”
He pointed out that there are other factors at play besides just Tiger’s availability: “If he cannot devote himself fully to it…that’s how the situation sort of haphazardly ended with the announcement of Keegan Bradley as the Ryder Cup captain.”
And he made it clear why time matters: “The U.S. Team has not won on the road since 1993. They need to have a plan in place.”
Laver also laid out exactly what he thinks should happen next:
“If I’m the PGA of America, I’m giving Tiger a hard deadline – ‘We’d love to have you. You by far our number one choice, but we have to get it planned in place.’”
Tiger Woods may need to make a call soon
The PGA of America need to do what they can to give the team the best chance possible of bringing the Ryder Cup trophy back home in 2027.
And waiting for Tiger Woods to decide if he wants the job won’t help them get there.
It’s always tough to win a Ryder Cup on foreign soil, but Europe have managed it four times since the USA’s last away victory.
PGA of America need to name their captain soon so Team USA can head into 2027 with a clear plan in place and everyone pulling in the same direction. Tiger is clearly their top choice, but as even he admitted, it wouldn’t be fair to the team if he couldn’t fully commit.
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