Speculation over who will captain the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup team was a hot topic in advance of last week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Asked during a news conference last Tuesday about his interest in pursuing the captaincy for the next biennial match in Ireland, tournament host Tiger Woods replied, “No one’s asked me about it.”
Meanwhile, 2025 captain Keegan Bradley said that while he would love another shot as captain to avenge the Americans’ loss to Europe at Bethpage Black, it probably won’t happen. The job would be Woods’ if he wants it, Bradley surmised.
“Tiger is not only a hero to all of us that would be on his team, but he’s also an incredible leader and a person that everyone would love to play for,” Bradley said.
Woods was a Ryder Cup vice captain in 2016 and captained the 2019 U.S. Presidents Cup team to victory in Australia. Others who have been mentioned as candidates for the role include Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Stewart Cink.
The PGA of America declined to confirm to Golf Channel whether it planned to reach out to Woods about the job. “It’s our hope to identify the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup captain by the first quarter of next year,” a spokesman said. READ MORE
“I don’t want the membership to take this badly but it’s probably not the best course in Melbourne.”
Rory McIlroy, commenting on tournament site Royal Melbourne in advance of last week’s Crown Australian Open. (McIlroy rated nearby Kingston Heath, site of next year’s championship, above it.)
Jonathan DiMaggio, Getty Images
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp and Woods, chairman of the tour’s future competition committee, met last Tuesday with Hero World Challenge competitors to address anticipated changes to the tour’s competitive model.
The meeting lasted about 90 minutes and included nearly everyone in the 20-player field, Golf Channel’s website reported, citing an unnamed player who attended. The conversation centered on a reduced schedule of approximately 20 to 25 events played in the best markets, on the best courses, with the best fields at the best time of year, the player said, adding that the idea is to create a clearly defined promotion and relegation system similar to what soccer has in the United Kingdom and not a vague “PGA Tour A” and “PGA Tour B” framework like the circuit currently has. READ MORE
Laurie Canter turned down a PGA Tour card and joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf for the second time. The league announced last Monday that he has joined the Majesticks for the 2026 season.
Canter finished seventh in the Race to Dubai and was among 10 players on the DP World Tour who earned a chance to join the PGA Tour. By joining LIV Golf, he is suspended from the PGA Tour and his card goes to Daniel Brown.
A 36-year-old Englishman, Canter played on LIV Golf from 2022-24 before returning to the DP World Tour. He won the 2024 European Open and 2025 Bahrain Championship, earning berths in this year’s Players Championship and Masters. He will replace Henrik Stenson on a Majesticks squad that includes fellow Englishmen Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sam Horsfield. READ MORE
Tap-ins
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Ben Griffin have been nominated for the Jack Nicklaus Award, the PGA Tour’s player of the year honor. Michael Brennan, Steven Fisk, William Mouw, Karl Vilips and Aldrich Potgieter have been nominated for the Arnold Palmer Award for rookie of the year. Voting among tour members for the awards ends Friday. READ MORE
Martin Couvra was named the DP World Tour’s 2025 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old Frenchman won the Turkish Airlines Open in May and posted six other top-10 finishes last season. READ MORE
The R&A announced eligibility criteria for the new last-chance qualifier for the 2025 Open Championship to be staged at Royal Birkdale on Monday, July 13. The 18-hole stroke play event will feature 12 competitors not otherwise exempt who will be determined in order using five separate criteria. READ MORE
Following a long suspension of third-round play on Sunday due to unplayable conditions at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama, the LPGA reduced its Q-Series final qualifying to a 72-hole event with the goal of completing play before the end of the day on Tuesday. There will be no cut, with the top 25 and ties at the conclusion of play earning their LPGA Tour cards for the 2026 season. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity
