Paul Azinger tells America three Ryder Cup captains they should pick instead of Tiger Woods, ‘I think that’s bad’

After Keegan Bradley’s disastrous tenure as Ryder Cup captain, his potential replacement is being considered.

Team USA is facing a period of self-reflection, as Luke Donald and Team Europe outclassed them in New York. In their team building, pairing selection, preparation, and togetherness, Europe managed nearly every critical aspect of the tournament better than the Americans.

As they search for an identity beyond bringing together the most talented collection of golfers on the planet, the PGA of America’s next captain is their most important in over a decade.

They need someone who can set a culture and lead them forward into a new era of American Ryder Cup golf. As expected, Tiger Woods’ name has been thrown into the ring, but Paul Azinger thinks that’s the wrong direction for Team USA.

Photo by Michael Reaves/PGA of America/PGA of America via Getty Images

Paul Azinger thinks Tiger Woods would be a ‘bad’ selection as Team USA captain

Bradley was a confusing selection as captain. As an active player on the PGA Tour, he was likely to be in contention for a place on the team. He was snubbed from the team despite being one of the 12 best Americans at the last Ryder Cup in Rome.

The mistakes made by Bradley proved he wasn’t ready for the role and was better served as a player for Team USA. He had to balance being a player trying to qualify for the team with being a captain picking the team, and it was ultimately too much to handle.

That’s why selecting Woods, who is expected to make a return from injury this season, would also be a mistake, according to 12-time PGA Tour winner, Azinger. He said on SubPar, “We picked a captain that we took him off the team. We picked a guy in his prime to be the captain, really out of guilt.

“I remember texting Keegan, congratulating him on taking the high road after he did not get picked for Italy. I text him a long time and said, ‘You will be a captain someday, way to take the high road’.

“I had no idea that he would be captain now. I have been critical of him being the captain. If you are going to pick a guy in his prime, you are going to risk what happened here this week.”

“We are skipping David Toms? He won the PGA. We are skipping Justin Leonard? He won a major. We are skipping Stewart Cink? They are all in their 50’s.

“Are we just going to go to Tiger Woods next? Is that the next guy? Are we just going to say to you three guys, sorry, we had a clique for a while and you’re out. I think that’s bad. I wish we could pick guys who aren’t in their prime.”

Tiger Woods is too big for the Ryder Cup

One thing the Americans proved at Bethpage Black is that they have no idea how to maximize the potential of their superstar player. While Scheffler dismissed comparisons to Woods before the Ryder Cup, his performance in New York was uncanny.

A loss to Rory McIlroy in Sunday singles would have made him the first-ever player to go 0-5-0 at a Ryder Cup. Instead, he’ll have to settle for being the first player since 1969 to lose his first four matches.

That was unfathomable for Scheffler entering the tournament after his dominant 2025 season.

Meanwhile, Woods has an abysmal Ryder Cup record. The 15-time major winner won the tournament only once, and Scheffler is now the only world number one to produce a worse performance at the event since the turn of the millennium.

The aura of Woods was overbearing for his teammates, causing them to shrink under the bright lights. He was the ultimate alpha male in golf, allowing him to dominate on the PGA Tour. But that’s not ideal for a team event.

As Team USA looks to adopt Europe’s model of communication, continuity, and camaraderie, is Woods really the man to lead them into this new model?