Tiger Woods to enter further talks over 2025 Ryder Cup captaincy after dropping subtle hint

Tiger Woods will hold further talks over the US Ryder Cup captaincy in the coming weeks, with the body responsible for hiring Zach Johnson’s successor promising to give the 15-time champion more time to make its decision.

Woods questioned his willingness to take on the role earlier this week, citing his involvement in golf’s slow-burn merger negotiations as a barrier to committing to next year’s clash with Europe in New York.

With Luke Donald reappointed in November, the Americans already appear to be losing ground on their rivals, but PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh stressed that Woods will not be rushed into the call.

Waugh said: “We’ve had conversations for months. We also had discussions at the Ryder Cup committee, several discussions about potential captains and a list of potential captains. You know, Tiger, has been pretty clear.

“I think we all know he can be quite focused, and that’s one of his many superpowers: his ability to tunnel and decide.

And he doesn’t do anything that he isn’t fully committed to, and we fully respect that. And he has a lot on his plate right now. He is obviously very active on the PGA Tour side (in their negotiations with the Saudi Arabian financiers of the LIV circuit).

‘We want to give him and the committee the space to decide how things will turn out. You know, everyone has some kind of timeline for this, and I realize it’s a news day and you guys want news, but we picked captains later than this. We’ve picked captains before.

“Luke Donald was appointed a year ago a year ago (ahead of Europe’s landslide victory in Rome in 2023) and they have performed quite well, for example.

‘We think there is enough time, and putting an artificial date on that is not something we should do. We continued the conversations. “I obviously want to respect that he’s playing in a major (at the US PGA Championship this week), and we’ll compete again next week or so.”

Meanwhile, Waugh has joined the chorus of those wanting to reunite the game’s warring factions at a time when progress on the merger deal appears to have stalled.

Highlighting the “damage” caused by the hostilities between LIV and the PGA Tour, Waugh said: “I’m a very optimistic type of person and I kind of hope it’s darkest before dawn, if you like, but I think it’s best for the game is a deal. And we’ve been very consistent in that regard.

‘I don’t think the game is big enough for two such tours and I think we are diluting the game in a way that is not healthy. We actually said that from the beginning. I hope there is a deal.

“I think both sides are not only committed to trying to find a deal, but really need a deal, and in my history of dealmaking, when both sides need something, it usually happens.”

‘I don’t know the time. I don’t have any inside information that you all don’t have. But I am hopeful that a deal will be reached in the long term. And what I would say: I hope there is urgency, because I think it is damaging to the Tour and to the game.

‘I hope it is short-term damage, rather than permanent damage. “I hope there’s some urgency in the timing around it because I just don’t think it’s a healthy situation right now.”