- PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh says Woods won’t rush into decision
- Woods, 48, hinted this week that he might be reluctant to take on the role.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
Tiger Woods will engage in further talks over the US Ryder Cup captaincy in the coming weeks, with the body responsible for hiring Zach Johnson’s successor pledging to give the 15-time major champion more time to make his decision.
Woods cast doubt on his willingness to accept the job earlier this week, citing his involvement in golf’s slow merger negotiations as a barrier to being able to commit to next year’s clash with Europe in New York.
With Luke Donald’s re-election in November, the Americans already appear to be losing ground to their rivals, but PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh insisted Woods will not rush into a decision.
Waugh said: ‘We’ve had conversations for months. We’ve also had conversations on the Ryder Cup committee, multiple conversations about potential captains and a list of potential captains. You know, Tiger, that’s been pretty clear.
“I think we all know that he can be quite focused and that’s one of his many superpowers: that ability to tunnel and decide.”
Tiger Woods hesitates to take over the US Ryder Cup captaincy for the 2025 tournament in New York
Despite his health problems, Woods participates in the PGA Championship in KY.
And he doesn’t do anything he’s not fully committed to, and we totally respect that. And he has a lot on his plate right now. He is very active, obviously, on the PGA Tour side (in his negotiations with the Saudi sponsors of the LIV circuit).
‘We want to give him and the committee space to decide how the situation develops. You know, everyone has a schedule for this, and I realize it’s news day and you guys want news, but we’ve chosen captains later. We have elected captains before this.
‘Luke Donald was appointed a year ago (before Europe’s crushing victory in Rome in 2023) and they performed quite well, for example.
“We believe there is plenty of time and putting an artificial date on it is not something we should do.” We have continued the conversations. Obviously I want to respect that he’s playing in a major (at the US PGA Championship this week), and we’ll be back in it next week.
Meanwhile, Waugh has joined the chorus of those who want to see the game’s warring factions reunite at a time when progress on the merger deal appears to have stalled.
Highlighting the “damage” that has been caused by the hostilities between LIV and the PGA Tour, Waugh said: “I’m a very optimistic guy and I hope it’s darkest before the dawn, so to speak, but I think it’s best for the game is a deal. And we have been very consistent on that front.
“I don’t think the game is big enough for two tours like that and I think we’re watering it down in a way that’s not healthy.” We have said it, truly, from the beginning. I hope there is a deal.
Woods cited his involvement in golf’s slow merger negotiations as a barrier to the captaincy.
“I think both sides are not only committed to trying to reach an agreement, but they really need it, and in my history of agreements, when both sides need something to happen, it usually happens.”
‘I don’t know the moment. I don’t have any inside information that you all don’t have. But I am hopeful that there will be an agreement over time. And what I would say is that I hope there is urgency because I think it is hurting the Tour, the game.
“I hope it’s short-term damage, rather than permanent damage, and so I hope there’s some urgency in the timing of doing it because I just don’t think it’s a healthy situation right now.”
