Tiger Woods Is Favorite For The Job But Phil Mickelson Suggests Alternative Route To Picking Next US Ryder Cup Captain

The inquest into the US failings at the 2025 Ryder Cup is underway, with the identity of the next captain inevitably at the forefront of the conversation.

Tiger Woods is the early favorite to take over from Keegan Bradley as captain for the 2027 edition at Adare Manor, but is he the answer?

Following the US’s defeat at Bethpage Black on Sunday, Normal Sports' Kyle Porter isn’t so sure.

He wrote on X: “If the question being posed is, ‘Man, Europe's excellence seems to emanate from a trust that is built by establishing relational equity and world class communication at every turn. Who can we get to build our version of that?’ I don't think 'Tiger Woods' is the answer."

One player who knows a thing or two about the match, having played in it 12 times between 1995 and 2018, is LIV Golfer Phil Mickelson, and he isn’t convinced the next captain should even come from within the game.

He responded: “Here is why looking outside of golf to a coach K or Lou Holtz is worth exploring. Golf is an individual sport that doesn’t have team work, support system, partnership, team analytics, personality traits, and more.”

The names Mickelson cited, Mike Krzyzewski (coach K) and Holtz, both had huge success with the teams they coached.

Krzyzewski was Duke University’s men’s basketball coach for over four decades, winning five NCAA national championships along the way. Meanwhile, Holtz coached several college football teams to success between the late 1960s and 2004.

Unlike Team Europe, which has had Luke Donald in place for the last two editions, both of which resulted in victory, no US captain has remained in the hotseat for more than one Ryder Cup in succession since Ben Hogan, who led the team in 1947 and 1949.

Mickelson also wondered whether a coach in the mold of Krzyzewski or Holtz could encourage more long-term thinking.

He added: “The Europeans have a template that teaches and prepares their captains for these skills. US has a new template every 2 years with little continuity.

“If a coach K or Lou Holtz or someone similar took over, would it be built upon or would it be scrapped and start over again afterwards? If that’s the case, it would be a waste of time and effort and not worth doing to begin with.”

Later, Mickelson clarified that he wasn’t suggesting either Krzyzewski or Holtz is the man to take on the role. One account mentioned Holtz will be 90 by the next Ryder Cup, prompting Mickelson to reply: “Lou Holtz type coach.”

Another user wrote: “Phil you are the answer,” to which he responded: “Flattered, but I am not.”

That is the second time in recent days that Mickelson has ruled out a Ryder Cup role.

After day two of the Bethpage Black match, he responded to a question put to him from Lee Westwood on X, suggesting he could be the 2027 US captain, writing: “No rumors. My Ryder Cup involvement is over. I’m happy being a spectator and rooting for Team USA.”

The latest US defeat looked like being one of its most emphatic, where the Europeans held a seven-point lead ahead of the Sunday singles. Donald’s men may only have edged home 15-13, but it still bucked a recent trend of the home team winning.

Since the turn of the century, the Europeans have now won the Ryder Cup nine times, with just three titles going to the US.

Following the win, members of Team Europe chanted: “Two more years,” indicating their desire to see Donald stay on for a third edition at Adare Manor.