While we still don’t know who will captain the U.S. team at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, a new role — and the man who will fill that role — was unveiled on Wednesday.
In a press release, the PGA Ryder Cup Committee announced that veteran PGA Tour caddie and NCB Sports reporter John Wood will assume the new role of Team Manager, beginning with the Bethpage Ryder Cup.
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What exactly does this new role entail? According to the press release, Wood will assist the captains, players and PGA of America management team, including providing “valuable guidance across a variety of team management areas including player selection, recruitment, motivational strategies, logistical coordination and fostering a positive team environment.”
“There is nothing, and I mean nothing, in my professional career, that I have been more passionate about than the Ryder Cup,” Wood wrote in Wednesday’s release. “I have been blessed to be a part of six Ryder Cup Teams as a caddie and two as an NBC Sports on-course reporter and I have treasured every single minute of those special, memorable experiences. I am honored to work alongside my friends from the PGA of America, the PGA Ryder Cup Committee, and future Ryder Cup Captains, Vice Captains and team members to help our Captains and teams get ready to compete in one of the greatest sporting events the world has ever seen. I am grateful to NBC Sports for making it possible for me to take on this role, truly a dream job.”
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A longtime PGA Tour looper, Wood caddied in six Ryder Cups, most recently for Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan. Then at the 2018 Ryder Cup, Wood served as U.S. assistant captain. For the last two Ryder Cups, he traded in pros’ clubs for a microphone as an on-course reporter for NBC Sports.
“We are thrilled to have John join our team as the new U.S. Ryder Cup Team Manager,” PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh wrote in the press release. “John is a passionate and dedicated individual. His years of experience in domestic and international team competitions as well as his deep understanding of match play dynamics will be a tremendous asset as we create a strategic plan that delivers success at all future Ryder Cups. I’m not sure that we could have invented a better fit for this role in terms of experience, enthusiasm and relevance.”
The big question still to be answered is who the U.S. captain will be. Tiger Woods has long been rumored as the number one choice for the prestigious captain’s role, but Woods has expressed concern that his busy schedule would prevent him from performing the many duties required of the captain.
We will have to wait and see if Wood’s new role as Team Manager would make it easier for Tiger to captain the U.S. team.
