US calls for Tiger Woods grow louder as Ryder Cup inquest continues

06 October 2023 , 18:03

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Tiger Woods has the backing of Davis Love III to assume the captaincy for Team USA at the next edition of the Ryder Cup

Calls for Tiger Woods to be installed as Team USA's captain for the next Ryder Cup are growing in number as the dust settles on their poor showing at Marco Simone.

As the reasons for the struggles in Rome continue to be mulled over and analysed, the debate about who will replace captain Zach Johnson for Team USA has intensified. Amid criticism of his picks and pairings, the Americans slumped to a 16.5-11.5 loss on European soil as their opponents regained the famous trophy.

Now, Davis Love III has backed his good friend Woods to take the reigns at the next edition at Bethpage on Long Island. Of course, the New York State venue has been a happy stomping ground for the world-famous 15-time majors winner in the past.

Love has called on the 48-year-old to lead the charge next time around, talking up his credentials for the captaincy. He asserted: "We've got to call and ask him. I think if he wants [it].

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"Obviously, Tiger's into a lot of stuff right now, and I hate to put pressure on him, but it's his call," he explained before adding: "Obviously, with some guys out, he's the next logical choice. I don't know if we want to put that much time and effort into it."

Woods, who is currently continuing his rehabilitation after being involved in a car crash back in February 2021, won the US Open at Bethpage in 2002. His case for the role is also strengthened by his captaincy at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia and that he was vice captain at the Ryder Cup in 2017

Admitting that the stress of the captaincy role should not be underestimated, Love added: "It takes a lot out of you. Hopefully, we can talk him into it. It's incredibly hard.

Zach Johnson was the captain of Team USA during their ill-fated showing at the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone

"I told a few people over at the Ryder Cup, I said, 'This is my last time.' And they were like, 'No, no, no,' and I'm like 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's time.' I told that to Tiger in 2019, I said, 'I'm done.'

"He said, 'Yeah, you're right, probably time, who do we think we ought to get, young guys?' And then Steve Stricker brought me right back in the next year."

Sticker, who led the USA to Ryder Cup glory at Whistling Straits two years ago, has been vocal about his own verdict on what went wrong for the team in Rome. Amid some speculation over the strength of relations in the locker room, he revealed how he felt morale looked at Marco Simone.

Steve Stricker led the United States to victory in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

This time around, Stricker was placed on Johnson's staff of assistants in a vice-captaincy role and he revealed how he viewed the mood in the camp. Speaking to golf.com, he said: "It was very similar to 2021. These guys get along very well with each other.

I don’t know who it was in the media, but I heard — I was going through the locker room or somewhere yesterday, it might have been Brad Faxon on saying that we’re too close.

"That we’re too much buddy buddies and the wives are too much friends. I just, I shake my head at that. At first, we weren’t close enough, now we’re too close? I don’t get that. The team was very good.”

Tom Beattie