Tiger Woods may have shied away from the opportunity to captain Team USA at the Ryder Cup, suggests Rory McIlroy’s ex-agent Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler. The golf icon, with 15 major wins under his belt, hasn’t played in the biennial event since 2018, when he lost all four of his matches and Europe emerged victorious.
Woods was a favorite to lead Team USA this year as they aim to recapture the Ryder Cup, last won in 2021. Yet, he passed on the captaincy, citing obligations with the TGL and PIF discussions.
Keegan Bradley stepped up as captain, becoming the youngest since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Chandler, who managed McIlroy for about four years, suspects Woods might have ‘bottled’ the decision due to differing attitudes toward the Ryder Cup between the US and Europe.
“They offered it to Tiger, he didn’t want it,” Chandler revealed to Casino Hawks. “I think he might have bottled it. I don’t know. He’d say maybe there wasn’t enough time, but that’s nonsense.”
“They don’t treat it like we do though. America doesn’t treat it like it’s a big thing as Europe does, and they never have done. Patrick Reed is one of the few that treats it like we do but he’s not in.”
Despite declining the role last year, Woods has expressed that he would consider captaining in the future, although he felt unable to fully commit at the time.
“With my new responsibilities 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 explained.
He also expressed openness to future opportunities: “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.”
Bradley then shared that he had received considerable guidance from Woods while deliberating over his squad selections.
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“Yeah, it’s interesting because so many times in my career I’ve leaned on other players to help me go through situations, whether it’s endorsements or certain situations or how I feel in tournaments,” Bradley reflected.
He admitted feeling somewhat isolated in his new role: “I have no one to talk to about this. I can’t call someone who’s done it. Tiger Woods did it at the Presidents Cup. I’ve spoken to him a ton about this.”
Bradley acknowledged the unique challenges of the Ryder Cup compared to other events: “There’s a few other guys that have done it in the Presidents Cup. The Ryder Cup is a much different animal, but we have a plan.”
