Tiger Woods rejects US Ryder Cup captain: ‘We support his decision’

In the aftermath of Tiger Woods’ car accidentThe 15-time major champion will not captain the U.S. for the 2027 Ryder Cup.

The PGA of America announced the news in a statement on Wednesday, saying Woods had “shared with us that he will not be serving” as captain for the US team next year.

The decision ends months of speculation over whether Tiger would finally take the reins of the US Ryder Cup team. It also leaves the PGA of America and the US team without a captain with just 18 months until the 2027 event in Ireland.

PGA: Tiger steps down as Ryder Cup captain for 2027

Not long after the European team finished it off Second consecutive Ryder Cup victory over Team USA at Bethpage Blackone thing was clear, albeit informal.

If Tiger Woods wanted to captain the US at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, the job was his. Given his busy schedule and recovery from surgery, it was never certain that Woods would get the job.

But with the event drawing ever closer, a decision was expected soon. We may never know what Woods intended to do.

Friday, March 27, Woods was involved in a rollover crash near his home in Jupiter, Fla., and is arrested and charged with DUI. Forests later pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Then on March 31, Woods announced he was “retiring” from golf and public life to “seek treatment and focus on my health”.

At that point, the Ryder Cup captain question was still up in the air, but the PGA of America gave us an answer on Wednesday.

In a statement released on social media, the PGA of America confirmed that Woods had decided not to take up the Ryder Cup captaincy.

“Tiger has shared with us that he will not serve as captain of the 2027 USA Cup team, and we support his decision,” the statement said.

“The PGA of America stands in full support of Tiger Woods as he steps away to focus on his health and well-being. During this time, we are keeping Tiger in our thoughts and prayers, with sincere hopes for his strength, comfort and recovery. Tiger means a lot to our Association and to the game of golf.”

The PGA also praised Woods “for prioritizing his long-term health” and said they “deeply respect the courage it takes to make such a personal decision.”

Recent car accident aside, this episode is very similar to the process the PGA went through to select the US Ryder Cup captain for 2025. Woods was a frontrunner for the job last year as well.

But in the end, Woods informed the PGA that it would not accept the 2025 captaincy. Keegan Bradley took his place.

In a statement read during the press conference announcing Bradley’s captaincy, Woods said, “With my new responsibilities on the (PGA) Tour and the time commitments involved, I felt I would not be able to devote the time to Team USA and the players required as captain.”

He added, “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If/when I feel the time is right, I’ll put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”

Now we’ll have to wait another two years to find out if the 2029 Ryder Cup is where Woods finally serves as captain.

But now there is a more pressing question. With Tiger out, who will captain the 2027 US Ryder Cup? The captain’s crisis comes at a time when Americans are desperate for strong leadership. After an embarrassing defeat on American soil, the team’s second consecutive loss at the Ryder Cup, the USA needs a win. But first they need a captain.

The European team does not have such a problem. Luke Donald has already been announced as the captain of Europe. He is hard at work preparing to bring his team a third straight victory in 2027.

You can read the PGA of America’s full statement below.

Full statement from the PGA of America on Tiger Woods’ Ryder Cup captaincy

The PGA of America stands in full support of Tiger Woods as he steps down to focus on his health and wellness. During this time, we are keeping Tiger in our thoughts and prayers, with sincere hope for his strength, comfort and recovery. Tiger means a lot to our Association and to the game of golf. Since his Ryder Cup debut in 1997, he has been an enduring part of the PGA of America family. His association with our PGA of America golf professionals and his lasting influence on the sport have inspired generations and profoundly shaped the game. We applaud Tiger for prioritizing his long-term health and deeply respect the courage it takes to make such a personal decision. Tiger has shared with us that he will not serve as captain of the 2027 USA Cup team and we support his decision. The PGA of America will share further Ryder Cup captaincy updates when appropriate. – PGA of America