Tiger Woods has been asked to decide if he wants to be America’s next Ryder Cup captain by the time the Masters starts in April.
The golf icon is the leading contender to be captain of the U.S. team for the 2027 event at Adare Manor in Ireland, just like he was for the last Ryder Cup before he turned it down.
PGA of America officials were forced to wait longer than ever before announcing Keegan Bradley as captain at Bethpage Black.
Now they are asking Woods to decide before the Masters, which runs from April 9 to 12, whether he wants the job.
According to the Associated Press, sources have described it more as a soft deadline than an ultimatum.
The Ryder Cup captaincy has become a time-consuming job, and Woods sounds as though he is busier than ever.
Tiger Woods must decide if he wants to be America’s Ryder Cup captain by the Masters
The Americans face the daunting task of regaining the trophy from Europe in Ireland in 2027
His most important role is chairman of the Future Competition Committee as it works toward one of the biggest and most complicated overhauls of the PGA Tour schedule.
Woods offered as much at Riviera last week when he said, ‘I thought I spent a lot of hours practicing in my prime. It doesn’t even compare to what we’ve done in the boardroom.’
Woods also teased golf fans last week by dropping another hint that he could make a stunning return at Augusta National.
The 50-year-old underwent a seventh back surgery in October and is also recovering from a torn Achilles sustained last March. Those latest injuries to his battered body sparked more fears over whether Woods would ever return to competitive golf.
On Saturday, he joined the CBS broadcasting crew during the third round of the Genesis Invitational, a tournament he hosts at Riviera Country Club in California.
Woods was asked if there is a possibility he could play at Augusta National in April. ‘There is,’ the 15-time major champion told CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman.
‘I know I’ll be there… Trev and I are going to be part of a great dinner,’ Woods joked in reference to the annual Champions Dinner. ‘I know a lot of people that are playing.’
When pressed on whether he would play a tournament before the Masters, Woods admitted: ‘I don’t know. Whether it’s regular tour, senior tour, or member-guest, I don’t know!’
Woods teased golf fans by dropping another hint he could make his return at the Masters
In a rare moment where the two of them were spotted by each other’s sides, Woods got cozy with his girlfriend Vanessa Trump.
In a video posted to TikTok, Woods was seen arm-in-arm with Vanessa – the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr and the mother of rising star golfer Kai Trump – for a photo opportunity next to a statue of gold icon Ben Hogan.
A beaming Woods smiled for the flick as the couple held each other arm-in-arm. At one point, Vanessa was seen resting her head near Woods’ shoulder before wrapping him in her arms tighter in a rare public display of affection.
Then, the couple brought Kai into the frame for a few more images together.