Tiger Woods sat behind the microphone at a PGA Tour sanctioned event for a first occasion since April’s Masters, however he wasted little time side-stepping any talk of taking over the captaincy reins of the USA 2025 Ryder Cup team.
No sooner had the American side lost convincingly at this year’s 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome than Woods’ name was being strongly suggested as the replacement for the hapless Zach Johnson.
Woods served as a playing vice-captain at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris and was captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup team in 2019. He’s also become a sounding board for captains in recent years, offering advice on everything from captain’s picks to course set-up, however his official role with this year’s 2023 USA team was limited by ankle surgery in April that allowed him to make just two starts.
Woods, however, clearly has more to think about at present, including his role on the Players Advisory Committee, and this week focusing on returning to competition at the Hero World Challenge, in what will be just his third tournament this year. And for the 15-time major champion, thoughts of being the home captain for the 44th hosting of the Ryder Cup taking at Bethpage Park on the outskirts of New York City are not a priority.
“Right now… there’s too much at stake with our tour to think about a Ryder Cup right now,” said Woods.
“We have to get this agreement done and we have to be focused on this right now.
“The Ryder Cup can take a bleep, the players and everyone involved understands that this is an issue we need to focus on.”
That said, Woods did address the ‘hatgate’ issue at the Rome Ryder Cup that centered around Patrick Cantlay’s decision not to wear a USA team cap. A move that may be linked to him being recently dropped by his long-time cap sponsor.
Cantlay’s actions led to the Rome crowd taking off their own caps and waving them vigorously each time Cantlay appeared on any of the Marco Simone holes.
“Well, what transpired there, it was media, it was just noise,” said Woods.
“Then the — obviously the fact that everyone now carries a mobile device and that was able to spread. You’re on — you’re not on home soil, so any time someone — they’re going to try to get in your head and that’s what they tried to do.
“I totally get it. Emotions. We all want to win. You have a home side and an opposing side, you’re going to get heat and that’s what happened.”
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