Speculation about Tiger as team captain, Scheffler injury-free this time, fun with DP World Tour and the Kordas. The Back Nine.
At the start of the year, a little speculation is allowed. Some disguise it as a prediction, a very popular pastime in early January. The colleagues from the renowned US portal The Fried Egg have boldly predicted for the upcoming golf year: The PGA of America offers Tiger Woods the role of captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland, but the 50-year-old politely declines. He prefers to lead the US team when it’s a home game. The GOAT as skipper in a continental contest on home soil would likely create unprecedented fan hype in the USA.
Anyway, it would be Woods’ second refusal after already declining for 2025 at Bethpage Black. This led to the appointment of Keegan Bradley, carrying the trauma of losses from Medinah 2012 and being left out in Rome 2023. This decision is understandable. Why give up home advantage—although statistically negligible—and risk tarnishing his sports reputation in an away mission with poor odds? Americans last won in Europe in 1993 at The Belfry.
Furthermore, his counterpart in Adare Manor might be Luke Donald, who has thoroughly defeated US captains twice. This leaves the PGA of America in a dilemma since few are available to captain the team. One hopes Keegan Bradley won’t get another chance—like Medinah-loser Davis Love III, who had a second shot in 2016 at home. Well, speculation is allowed…
McIlroy and Keegan: It’s Complicated
An odd situation: Boston Common recently won its first match in the Tomorrow’s Golf League, thanks in part to substitute Michael Thorbjornsen. However, at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Boston Common faced both Los Angeles and an internal team tension. Rory McIlroy and teammate Keegan Bradley had to put on a good face despite a strained relationship since the 2022 Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
McIlroy faced harsh criticism from US fans, while Bradley downplayed the hostility as ”
, “very passionate.” : “Allegedly, they reconciled, but tensions resurfaced before Boston Common’s second TGL season opener. McIlroy expressed that he still holds a grudge against ‘Captain Keegan’ for not calming overzealous fans. The five-time major winner said in the podcast ‘The Overlap’ with British football stars Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and Roy Keane: ‘You have to use the home advantage.