The PGA of America has scheduled a news conference for noon on Tuesday to announce the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the matches at Bethpage State Park in Farmington, N.Y.
The easy choice would be to hit up Tiger Woods to be the captain to oppose Europe and Luke Donald, who was asked to lead his side after beating the U.S. soundly in Rome last year.
However, will Woods want the job? At least now?
Before the LIV Golf League was launched in 2022, the Ryder Cup captaincy for Bethpage was an easy choice: Phil Mickelson. He is especially beloved by galleries at New York Metro area golf courses and having the usually rowdy Bethpage crowds behind him would have been an advantage for the U.S. team.
However, there seems to be little chance of Mickelson getting that job now because of his defection to LIV Golf and the fallout of revelations about his gambling — including his relationship with Billy Walters, a career gambler who wrote in an autobiography that Mickleson asked him to get a $400,000 bet down on the 2012 Ryder Cup, in which Mickelson was playing.
Walters said he told Mickelson he wouldn’t facilitate the wager because of the conflict of interest. Mickelson later said in a statement that he never bet on the event.
Woods was slotted for the 2027 matches at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland, and that too carried an underlying theme. The owner of the golf resort at Adare Manor is Limerick native J.P. McManus, who has been one of Woods’ closest friends for a quarter-century.
Woods got married at a resort co-owned by McManus in Barbados and he never fails to play in an annual pro-am organized by McManus.
On the eve of the announcement, here are the possibilities:
Tiger Woods
With the order of succession shattered by Mickelson’s issues, Woods may step up if the PGA of America asks him, especially since the U.S. took such a beatdown in Rome. Woods has been an international match play captain once, leading the U.S. over the International team in the 2019 Presidents Cup.
The issue will be whether Woods still intends to maintain some kind of playing schedule and how that fits with the demands of being a Ryder Cup captain.
But if he is the captain, it could be the most anticipated Ryder Cup in history.
Phil Mickelson
The odds are against him but the guy won a major at the age of 51, so tell us again about the odds.
Since the PGA of America and other governing bodies of major championships are allowing LIV Golf members to play if they’re eligible through the World Golf Ranking or as past champions, there’s nothing to keep the PGA from doing what everyone thought a few years ago: hand the keys to the U.S. team to Lefty.
But one issue might be Mickelson’s potential relationship with U.S. players. He hasn’t played on the PGA Tour because of the suspension meted out to players who bolted for LIV Golf so how well is he attuned to the games of Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay?
One factor if Mickelson is the captain: Bet the ranch a LIV player such as Brooks Koepka will be a captain’s pick if he don’t qualify on points. The only LIV player among the points leaders is U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau at No. 2. Koepka has dropped to 34th.
Fred Couples
Fred Couples has been the captain for three winning teams in the Presidents Cup and served as a Ryder Cup vice-captain. So what’s the problem?
Speculation is that Couples is such as laid-back, well-liked dude that he would have difficulty making the tough decisions (like benching a star player) and might not be the most organized captain. At this point he may also be past his shelf life. Couples will be 65 when the 2025 matches are played.
Steve Stricker
Steve Stricker led the U.S. to victory in 2021 at Whistling Straits and the PGA has a recent history of turning to past captains to rescue the team. The organization turned to Davis Love III in 2016, four years after he was the captain in 2012, and Love led the team to victory.
David Toms
David Toms checks off the usual boxes: a past major champion, respected and liked by fellow players and a good soldier who has never made waves during his career. But will he get anyone excited? Plus, Toms has indicated in the past that being a Ryder Cup captain is not on his bucket list.
Stewart Cink
Stewart Cink has assisted on international match-play teams numerous times so he understands the process. He’s like Toms: good guy, good trooper, won’t get pulses pumping.
David Duval
A Jacksonville native, David Duval has the same credentials as Toms and Cink, with multiple Tour victories and a major on his resume. The Jacksonville native doesn’t have a stellar Ryder Cup playing record, playing only twice with a 1-3-2 record and his PGA Tour career went on a downswing relatively early.
But ask anyone who knows him, and they’ll tell you Duval will be detail-oriented. He’ll know the strengths and weaknesses of players on both teams, the quirks of Bethpage (he was the runner-up in the 2009 U.S. Open there) and will handle the administrative tasks with efficiency.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Will it be Tiger Time for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage State Park?
Read the full article here