With Tiger Focused on PIF, U.S. Turns to Netflix Star to Lead Ryder Cup

As Tiger focuses on PIF, US looks to Netflix star to lead Ryder Cup

Tiger Woods turned down the opportunity because he’s involved in PGA Tour negotiations.

LIV Golf has transformed nearly every aspect of the sport, from major championships and the PGA Tour to broadcasters, sponsors and more. We can now add Team USA’s hopes of Tiger Woods becoming captain of the Ryder Cup team.

The PGA of America has selected Keegan Bradley (above) to lead the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team after Woods turned down the opportunity due to his role in ongoing negotiations with LIV’s backers, the Fund of public investment in Saudi Arabia. “Given my new responsibilities on Tour and the time that comes with it, I felt that I would not be able to dedicate the time to Team USA and the players needed as captain,” Woods said . “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to be a team captain in the future.” At the US Open, Woods said the PGA Tour and PIF were studying how to reach the “endgame.”

Bradley said Woods can get as involved as he wants. “I think that shows how much he cares that he gave up the position because he felt he couldn’t do what he was supposed to do,” Bradley said. While LIV’s presence prevented Woods from taking over as captain, Bradley said the returning tour players would be fair game for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, saying, “I’m going to have the best 12 players on my team. …I’m not worried about the LIV business.

The choice of Bradley, who is 38 and still a regular on the PGA Tour, is a surprising change of pace. Ryder Cup captains these days tend to be older players considered past their prime and generally don’t play in weekly tournaments. A two-time member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Bradley won the 2011 PGA Championship and is currently ranked 19th in the world.

But Bradley was the first man to miss last year’s U.S. team, a situation that was caught on Netflix cameras and eventually recreated in season two of Full Swing. The golfer’s composure and communication skills were praised during an episode of the documentary series, and Bradley said on the show that he had an “incredible experience” but rejected the idea that it led to his unconventional captaincy. “I couldn’t imagine they would make a decision based on how Netflix portrayed me while we were filming,” he said.

Looking ahead to next fall, when the U.S. will host the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black Stadium in New York, Bradley said it was too early to tell whether U.S. players would allow Netflix cameras to film their in-team moments in Once. A Year in Rome.