The Next U.S. and European Ryder Cup Captains Are Unknown, But Here are Some Options

The pipeline for U.S. captains suddenly looks thin after the recent Ryder Cup, while Europe seems to have options no matter what happens with LIV Golf in the future.

More Weekly Read: Ryder Cup Remuneration | Framework Agreement Update | Fore! Things

For seemingly a decade—or back to when Bethpage Black on Long Island was announced as what was then the 2024 Ryder Cup venue, now 2025—Phil Mickelson was penciled in to be the U.S. captain.

That is almost certainly not going to happen. Even if there is peace between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf, there is a very real question concerning whether Mickelson would want to do it. He has suggested more than once that he is fine with both sides moving on, given his long run as a player and one-time assistant captain.

The easy choice is Tiger Woods, who turns 48 later this year and is in the perfect position to be a captain—if he desires. That is a big question. Is Woods still trying to play given all of his injuries? Perhaps he would prefer to wait for Ireland in 2027—although the idea of an international Ryder Cup may seem less desirable to him.

It’s probably Woods’s job if he wants it, and he will undoubtedly surround himself with assistants he knows and trusts.

Could Justin Rose and/or Tiger Woods be Ryder Cup captains in the next edition or two? / Imago

This issue going forward for the U.S. is developing more captains. Say what you want about the Ryder Cup Task Force, but it has done its intended job of providing continuity between assistants and captains through the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. Zach Johnson served in assistant roles the last four Cups. He didn’t prevail in Rome, but it’s not because he didn’t understand how things worked.

The 2021 U.S. captain, Steve Stricker, had also captained the Presidents Cup team in 2017. Jim Furyk, the 2018 Ryder Cup captain, had been part of previous teams. Furyk will captain next year’s U.S. Presidents Cup team, which, frankly, seems like a missed opportunity to get someone else in the mix.

So did Johnson’s appointment of Davis Love III, Stricker, Furyk and Fred Couples this year. All have done the jobs and nurturing some future possibilities might have been more wise for at least one of those spots. Couples, who had three victories as a U.S. Presidents Cup captain, has been a popular choice among players, so he seems safe to do it as long as he wants.

The interesting assistant in the mix this year was Stewart Cink. The 2009 British Open champion played in five Ryder Cups, the last in 2010. But he was sort of left out of the mix when the Task Force started revamping the system. Johnson included him this year and also brought him along for a news conference at the Fortinet Championship three weeks ago in a pre-tournament interview.

Cink would bring plenty of knowledge and experience to a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup team. Could he be in line for the 2025 Ryder Cup if Tiger doesn’t want it? Perhaps the 2026 Presidents Cup? Or even the 2027 Ryder Cup?

Developing some other possibilities now seems to be the issue starting at next year’s Presidents Cup. The U.S. all of a sudden doesn’t have many in the pipeline. Could David Duval get back in the mix? Matt Kuchar was an assistant for the U.S. team in 2018. Webb Simpson was an assistant at the 2022 Presidents Cup, although that may have stemmed from his local knowledge at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. Next year is the Presidents Cup, and who will assistant Furyk suddenly becomes an interesting story.

On the European side, the LIV Golf issue still clouds the future. If there is an agreement to forge peace, does that mean that deposed captain Henrik Stenson gets another chance? What about Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell? It is quite possible that the LIV situation has harmed them going forward—or maybe it hasn’t.

But there have already been rumblings about bringing Luke Donald back. Francesco Molinari, who along with his brother, Edoardo, was an assistant this year, is another possibility. And so is Justin Rose, who will be 45 but might want to wait until Ireland in 2027.