17 April 2024 , 20:07
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The clamour for Tiger Woods to take up the post as Team USA's captain at the next Ryder Cup shows no signs of dissipating with Bernard Gallacher among those backing his cause.
With the American hero having never represented his country as helmsman in the contest versus their European counterparts, the household name appears to be the standout candidate to fill the void in 2025. Having appeared for the US on eight occasions in the bi-annual tournament, he also served as vice-captain in 2016.
Fuelling the speculation further that he could succeed Zach Johnson after his compatriot oversaw a 16.5-11.5 loss in Rome last year, Woods appeared to speak positively about the prospect recently. Addressing the rumours at the Masters this month, the 15-time major winner was open to engaging in discussions after playing at Augusta.
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Now, it appears that Woods has earned a vote of confidence from an unlikely source, with three-time Team Europe captain Gallacher joining the chorus of advocates. Speaking to Bunkered, the eight-time appearance maker contended: "They’re just picking their moment to announce Tiger. Tiger is a special case.
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"They want him to be captain at Bethpage. They need to get back winning and need to redeem themselves after playing so badly in Rome. He would be a great captain because the players of his generation would like to play well for Tiger."
Gallacher also spoke up the commercial advantages that appointing Woods as skipper may bring along with it, such is the superstar's standing as one of the most bankable sporting stars on the planet. He asserted: "Commercially it would keep his brand there.
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Zach Johnson's tenure as Team USA captain ended with a poor showing in the Ryder Cup at Rome (PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)"Being a Ryder Cup captain, especially when he’s not playing on the course as often, would keep his brand there. He’s got his new own clothing and it would help for that."
Still, Gallacher did concede that a rare four-year commitment from Woods across two events could be out of the question. "He’d be a great home captain for sure. But the trouble is, if he wins in New York, he might then say I don’t want to be a captain in Ireland because I’ve already won it and I don’t want to go there and lose."
As for Woods, he appeared willing to shelve any immediate discourse about potentially becoming Team USA's next captain while making his 24th appearance at Augusta. He confirmed: "We’re still talking about it. It’s something that Seth [Waugh, the PGA of America chief executive] and I are going to sit back and talk about after this event.
"I said I’m going to be busy for a couple weeks, so let me focus on getting through this week and hopefully getting another jacket, and then we can sit back and talk about it next week."