Tiger Woods has emerged as the bookmakers’ joint favorite to become America’s next Ryder Cup captain following Keegan Bradley’s admission that he will never recover from last month’s devastating loss.
Luke Donald’s European squad made history by becoming the first visiting team to sweep the opening four sessions before securing a thrilling 15-13 triumph.
Breaking his silence since that heartbreaking defeat, Bradley confessed he remains trapped in a “Ryder Cup fog” and declared: “You win, it’s glory for a lifetime. You lose, it’s ‘I’m going to have to sit with this for the rest of my life’.
“There’s no part of me that thinks I’ll ever get over this. Since the Ryder Cup to now has been one of the toughest times in my life.”
The world No. 14 received his appointment just last July after Woods declined the position in New York, and had even contemplated selecting himself as a captain’s pick.
Bradley acknowledged his tactical errors in setting up Bethpage Black, with his team only finding their rhythm during Sunday’s singles matches where they claimed 8.5 points in a valiant but ultimately futile comeback attempt.
Shane Lowry clinched the decisive half-point in the eighth singles encounter to secure Europe’s trophy retention.
At the Travelers Championship media day, the 2011 US PGA champion reflected: “You put so much into it, and you have all this planning, and the first two days went as poorly as we could have ever thought. Then we had that amazing rally on Sunday.
“What I’ve tried to take away is the incredible memories I had with the guys – the times in the locker room and the emotional times we had together.”
Bradley, 39, who clinched the Travelers Championship in June, could have made history as the first Ryder Cup playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. “I’ll forever wonder and wish that I had a chance to play there,” he confessed.
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“The first practice day, I was out on the tee, and I was watching the guys walk down the fairway all together, and I said: ‘I wish I was playing. That’s what it’s all about. I’m missing out.'”
“By the second or third day I was like ‘It’s a good thing I’m not playing,’ because I was so physically exhausted. Good thing I didn’t do it, because it would have been bad. I just didn’t think I could do both jobs.”
Bradley experienced defeat in his two Ryder Cups as a player in 2012 and 2014. Netflix Full Swing cameras captured his disappointment at being excluded from the 2023 team.
“I really would enjoy playing in one more,” Bradley conceded. “I don’t know if I’ll get the chance. “This effing event has been so brutal to me. I don’t know if I want to play. No, I do. It’s such a weird thing to love something so much that just doesn’t give you anything.”
Donald demonstrated the benefit of prior captaincy experience – he triumphed in Rome in 2023 – by steering Europe to their first away victory since 2012. However, bookmakers promptly shifted his odds from 2-1 to 5-1 to take the helm at Adare Manor, with Woods and 2018 captain Jim Furyk now joint favorites. Woods is a close ally of Adare Manor owner JP McManus.
Woods, who celebrates his 50th birthday in December, recently had his seventh back surgery and hasn’t competed in a PGA Tour event since the 2023 Open.
William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said: “Speculation for who will captain the USA Ryder Cup team in 2027 has turned up a notch following Keegan Bradley’s recent comments, stating he may never get over the host’s defeat at Bethpage in September. As a result, we’ve pushed Bradley’s odds of being the USA captain out to 5/1, leaving Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk as joint favourites (7/2) to lead their side across to pond to Adare Manor in just under two years’ time.”
“The trio of Brandt Snedeker, 2021 captain Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson are 4/1 to assume the position as Bradley’s successor, while Kevin Kisner and Gary Woodland are 5/1 and 6/1 respectively. Davis Love III is further out at 12s, followed by 2023 Ryder Cup captain, Zach Johnson, at 16/1. Corey Pavin rounds out the current candidates at 20/1.”
