Tiger Woods was not at this year’s Ryder Cup but he has been linked with a role at the next one, as we take a look at his extraordinary wealth and life away from the golf course
Mathew Davies and Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
09:13, 29 Sep 2025
Tiger Woods was not seen at the Ryder Cup(Image: Carmen Mandato/TGL, TGL via Getty Images)
The Ryder Cup reached its thrilling climax in New York on Sunday, with Team Europe successfully defending their crown in hostile territory. Despite the best efforts of the rowdy crowd and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood came out on top at Bethpage Black.
Europe, captained by Luke Donald, carried a record-breaking 11.5-4.5 advantage into the final day’s singles clashes. However, they suffered a monumental scare as the Americans put up a historic fight on the final day, with Ludvig Aberg being the only Team Europe star to win his match and help crawl towards a 15-13 victory.
Eyes are already fixed on 2027 and the return of golf’s most prestigious team competition to European soil. And who better to spearhead the US revival than potentially the sport’s greatest ever player – Tiger Woods.
That’s the opinion of three-time Ryder Cup champion Graeme McDowell, at least. The 49-year-old was expected by many to captain the star-studded event at Bethpage Black this year but declined the opportunity.
“With my new responsibilities to the Tour and time commitments involved, I felt like I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain,” Woods said in a statement released by the PGA of America in July 2024.
READ MORE: How the 2025 Ryder Cup was won: Three crucial moves Europe made to ensure victoryREAD MORE: Tiger Woods was forced to intervene in Rory McIlroy fallout at Ryder Cup
“That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If and when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”
McDowell took to social media to make his feelings clear, however. “Tiger captain in 2027. Book it,” he wrote. Former major champion Paul Azinger, however, believes he would be more attracted to becoming the commissioner of the PGA Tour instead of taking on the captaincy.
“I don’t know, I think he’d more likely be the commissioner before, maybe, than the Ryder Cup captain,” he said. “Tiger’s bigger than Ryder Cup captaincy. I said a couple of years back he should be the permanent captain, all-time captain, because who better?
Woods confirmed his relationship earlier this year(Image: X/@tigerwoods)
“But that’s not right. Other guys deserve to be the captain, so I kind of take that back. But I think he has bigger fish to fry. Tiger, he’s involved with this game monetarily now, and maybe he’ll end up running it, who knows?”
Woods was noticeably absent from Bethpage last week as he recovered from surgery. Yet his Ryder Cup record is hardly one to boast about anyway, having competed in eight tournaments but only tasted victory once.
Since his mother passed away at the start of the year, he hasn’t competed at all. His last appearance was at the 2024 Open Championship in July, where he didn’t make the cut.
The 49-year-old is a true golfing legend(Image: Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images)
Woods’ life away from the course over the past 15 years or so has been turbulent, with serious injuries and personal matters having a huge impact on his game. He missed the Masters at Augusta earlier this year, having to undergo surgery after rupturing his left Achilles tendon.
At the time the legend released a video on social media, saying: “As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured. This morning, Dr Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida, performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon.
“I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab. Thank you for all the support.” Fans expressed their worry for Woods, noting his “puffy” appearance on social media.
Woods has two children with his first wife(Image: Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images)
Woods, who claimed the green jacket in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2005 before an astonishing comeback win in 2019, has missed the tournament four times previously. His most recent absence was in 2021, following a car crash that resulted in severe injuries and could have cost him his leg.
Woods is a father to two children, Sam and Charlie, with his first wife, Elin Nordegren. Their marriage ended in 2010 after Nordegren discovered Woods’ multiple affairs. Following the revelation of his infidelity, he crashed his car into a fire hydrant outside his home.
He subsequently checked into a rehabilitation clinic for sex addiction and later dated skier Lindsey Vonn and Erica Herman. Earlier this year Woods revealed he was dating Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Vanessa had been married to Donald Trump Jr for 13 years before their 2018 split, with the former couple sharing five children.
Woods is dating Donald Trump Jr’s ex-wife Vanessa(Image: Tiger Woods/Instagram )
In March, Woods shared pictures of himself and Vanessa on social media, writing: “Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”
Forbes estimates Woods’ fortune at a staggering $1.3billion (£1.02bn), built up through lucrative deals with Nike and TaylorMade, among others, throughout his iconic career.
He has since severed ties with Nike to launch his own brand, Sun Day Red. The golfing legend owns a number of properties but is thought to live in Jupiter Island, Florida, in a mansion covering nearly nine acres and reportedly worth around $80million (£63m).
