Pádraig Harrington believes if Tiger Woods chooses to captain Team USA at next year’s Ryder Cup then it means he is committed to doing the best job he can in Adare Manor.
Woods has been heavily linked with the captaincy since it was announced that the biennial contest was coming to Adare as he has a close relationship with owner JP McManus. But the 15-time major winner is still undecided whether he can commit to the role despite being offered it recently.
Harrington feels next year’s contest will be a tremendous success and Woods’ presence could only elevate it.
“There’s a lot going on, I heard him talking about that, there are changes ahead which is to be expected with new investors on the Tour. It would be interesting,” said the 54-year-old on Tuesday.
“I think the Ryder Cup in Adare is going to be a great success. Tiger being there would make it even bigger, it’s hard to believe that you could make it even bigger and more exciting. It would be a nice one, let’s wait and see.”
Part of the Tiger captaincy fascination in Adare Manor would be how he would approach the leadership of his pack the Dubliner admitted.
“The obvious answer is yes,” Harrington said when asked if Tiger would be a good captain for the United States who have lost the last two Ryder Cups. “The other answer is we don’t really know. It could be intimidating for all I know or it could be the opposite where he is inspiring. To be a great captain you don’t necessarily have to be a great player. It would be great for the tournament and I would suggest he wants to be a great captain and do a great job. Even by his words saying that he has to think about it can he give it the time and commitment that he feels it deserves suggests that if he does do it he would be into it.
“It takes time and effort to do the individual bits behind the scenes so he wants to know he’s committed. You would think the players would love to play for him but we just don’t know until we see him in action and how he does it. We will wait and see.”
Harrington boasts an admirable record against Woods in his career, winning numerous times when the pair were in the field including beating him in a playoff at the 2006 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan. So would he fancy facing him on the sidelines next year?
Luke Donald is yet to confirm whether he will serve a third term as European captain after back to back wins in Rome and New York – Europe’s first away triumph since 2012 – and while Harrington hasn’t heard any rumours of his candidacy for the role he would “reluctantly” step into the breach for a second time after losing in Whistling Straits in 2021 when he took a European team past its sell by date to face a youthful American side twelve months later than scheduled.
“A lot of people got Covid do-overs! Just throwing it out there,” he laughed.
“The talk is let’s see what Luke is doing. It is a very set clear path here where Luke has to make a decision in the near future. Outside of that there could be an unbelievably obvious candidate who could step in, we just don’t know.
“There has certainly been no talk of it or anything like that, there is no point in having any talk about it, just wait and see what Luke wants to do. We have to wait and see what Luke is talking. Nobody wouldn’t want to take that job on.
“I do think it will be a tough job for any captain going in to follow Luke who has been incredibly successful and there will be high expectations for Europe after winning so spectacularly in the last two. Any captain who takes it on, it’s not without its pressures and difficulties. I was amazed what an incredible chance he took in the States now if he goes a third time I don’t think he could affect his legacy too much. There is a different pressure on him.”
The European captaincy has become slightly more complex after Jon Rahm’s name was omitted from an eight-player list who have been given conditional releases by the DP World Tour to compete in LIV events. Tom McKibbin and Tyrrell Hatton were on the list.
Rahm’s Ryder Cup future has now been cast into doubt but Harrington feels the outside pressure from fans and the media could help the Spaniard play in Adare Manor.
“There’s no way the captain, the team or the fans will want to go into a Ryder Cup without Jon Rahm and maybe he is relying on that. It doesn’t mean he can rely on it forever but he can right now. Social media and the fans they will want Rahm to play and he is relying on that pressure.”
Rahm was part of Harrington’s 2021 side and the three-time major winner is backing his man.
“I have a very good relationship with Jon Rahm as I do with all my teammates from 2021. He will forever be my teammate and I will do everything I can to support and help him going forward. That relationship will never be broken if there is anything positive I can do I will do it.”
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