Speculations about Tiger as team captain, Scheffler injury-free, fun with DP World Tour and the Kordas. The Back Nine.
At the beginning of the year, a bit of speculation is allowed. Some disguise it as predictions, a very popular discipline in early January. The colleagues from the renowned US portal The Fried Egg boldly claimed in their look ahead to the upcoming golf year that the PGA of America will offer Tiger Woods the role of captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup expedition to Ireland, but the 50-year-old will politely decline. He prefers to lead the US squad when it is a home event. The GOAT as skipper at the continental competition on home soil: This would probably blow up all fan hype seen so far in US golf.
Anyway, it would be Woods’ second refusal after he had already declined for 2025 at Bethpage Black. This led to the appointment of Keegan Bradley, who has since carried the third trauma after the defeat at Medinah 2012 and being overlooked for Rome 2023. However, it is an understandable decision for Tiger. Why should he give up the home advantage – although statistically it does not really exist – and risk tarnishing his sporting reputation in an away command mission where chances are not good. The Americans last won in Europe in 1993 at The Belfry in England.
Moreover, his counterpart at Adare Manor might be Luke Donald, who has thoroughly outplayed the US skipper twice before. This again poses a dilemma for the PGA of America, as hardly anyone else is suitable for the team captain job. One wouldn’t want Keegan Bradley to take the role again – Medinah loser Davis Love III famously got a second chance in 2016, but that was at home. Well, a bit of speculation is allowed… What the ‘Fried Eggers’ also came up with: