Who should be the next captain for Team USA? How can Scottie Scheffler turn around his Ryder Cup record? We answer some of the biggest questions facing the U.S. ahead of 2027.
— After yet another U.S. loss to the Europeans in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black this past week, it’s time to examine what went wrong and what needs to happen next.
The Americans’ spirited rally in Sunday singles covered up the warts of a 15-13 loss, their 11th defeat in the past 15 matches.
With much of the European team expected to return at the next Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027, including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm and others, the Americans will undoubtedly face another uphill climb — this time on foreign soil.
Luke Donald, who became only the second European captain to win back-to-back Ryder Cups, didn’t say whether he plans to be back a third straight time.
« I think he turned this European Team into a really unstoppable force, especially the first two days, and you know, in my eyes, I think he’s the best European Ryder Cup captain ever », U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley said. « I was really excited to go up against him, but I knew it was going to be tough to beat him. He put his team in the best position to win, and to do that at these two places is a remarkable feat. »
Mark Schlabach: I don’t know it’s as much a question about who is going to be the next captain, as what the PGA of America and the rest of American professional golf are going to do to support him. Clearly, Bradley made mistakes as a rookie Ryder Cup captain; he admitted as much in his post-loss news conference, especially when it came to setting up Bethpage Black.
Donald had a much better organization behind him, from statistics guru and vice captain Edoardo Molinari to past captains Thomas Bjørn and Paul McGinley, who remain very much committed to making sure the Europeans continue to dominate.
Tiger Woods is the favorite to captain the U.S. team at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027, which will be the 100th anniversary of the Ryder Cup. Woods is friends with Adare Manor owner J.P. McManus. It remains to be seen whether the 15-time major champion wants the job, but if he does even the GOAT should be required to make a two-year commitment to the position.
The U.S. team doesn’t need a repeat of what happened the last time, when the PGA of America waited for months for Woods to make up his mind. When Woods decided he was too busy, the Americans chose Bradley, who hadn’t even been a Ryder Cup vice captain and, incredibly, wasn’t aware he was under consideration until 2023 captain Zach Johnson called and offered him the position.
If Woods opts out, Brandt Snedeker (U.S. captain in the 2026 Presidents Cup), Webb Simpson and Justin Leonard might be in line next. Fred Couples, a five-time Ryder Cupper, has never been captain. He’s popular among golfers like Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and others and cares very much about the event.
Hopefully, the Americans have enough pride to take a long, hard look at what has gone wrong for much of the past three decades. It might be time for another Ryder Cup Task Force because the Europeans aren’t only beating them on raucous weekends every two years — they’re crushing them 365 days a year.
Paolo Uggetti: There was a moment during the U.S. news conference on Sunday when Bradley was asked if there was a time during the week where he thought Donald had « out-captained » him. Bradley had just started his answer when Thomas piped in from the other side of the dais.
« We needed to make more putts. That’s what Keegan needed », Thomas said sarcastically, coming to Bradley’s defense. « He needed us to make more putts. That’s what he needed to do. »
As the team answered questions and looked outside the player interview area to the Europeans, who were celebrating, there was a clear sense that this loss stung. It’s why I wonder if, with one captaincy under his belt, there is some benefit in letting Bradley try again. For as much as some of his decisions were questionable (he said the course setup strategy he opted for was wrong), I do think the players both respected and felt connected to him because they saw him as a peer. The fact that Thomas and others throughout the presser were quick to his defense gave us a glimpse into that.
