Tranlate this title After Woods’ refusal, who will be the captain? in spanish

Who will be the man to pull off the miracle? Who can rise to the challenge and bring the Ryder Cup home, something no American golfer has managed since September 26, 1993? On that day, Tom Watson led his team to a 15-13 victory at The Belfry, in the suburbs of Birmingham, England. And the question has become even more unclear since Tiger Woods, the obvious candidate, officially declined the 2027 position at Adare Manor, Ireland, to the PGA of America, which confirmed the news on Wednesday, April 1st.

Five names clearly stand out as potential successors to Keegan Bradley, the man who led the US team to disaster at Bethpage, New York, with some baffling, not to say suicidal, choices (especially in doubles). And this despite a somewhat redeeming Sunday in singles (only one win, that of Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, and five draws for the Europeans).

Brandt Snedeker, riding the momentum of the Presidents Cup? Captain of this year’s Presidents Cup team (September 24-27 in Medinah, Illinois), Brandt Snedeker is certainly the number one option. Many of the players who will be part of the team will very likely also be in the Republic of Ireland a year later. He is also one of the few «former» Ryder Cup players with a winning record of 4 wins and 2 losses, including a perfect 3-for-3 at Hazeltine in 2016, admittedly against a rather weak European team then coached by Darren Clarke. But can one be a good captain in both the Presidents Cup, where the USA has utterly dominated the International Team since the event’s inception in 1994 (with only one defeat in 1998), and the Ryder Cup? Jim Furyk, winner in Montreal in 2024, was not up to the task at Le Golf National in 2018 against the Europeans!

Webb Simpson, the consensus builder? Vice-captain to Keegan Bradley at Bethpage, Webb Simpson has the advantage of maintaining excellent relationships with almost all the active American players. He gets along well with everyone, and this is precisely what makes the European team led by Luke Donald so strong. Can he then instill this «philosophy» within a group where egos are very often oversized? It’s a question worth asking!

Will Steve Stricker dare to return? Just as in 2008, when the PGA of America chose Paul Azinger to revitalize the team after three consecutive defeats (including the drubbing at Oakland Hills in 2004), will it take the risk of bringing Steve Stricker back to the helm? He is, after all, the last captain to have won a Ryder Cup by a wide margin. But that was in the United States, at Whistling Straits, in 2021: a resounding 19-9 victory! Could the man who will turn 60 in September 2027 do it again? All the players present in Wisconsin praised his team management. But that was then. So…

Stewart Cink, the surprise choice? Now playing on the Champions Tour, does Stewart Cink still maintain such close ties with those on the PGA Tour, the sole supplier of players to the US Ryder Cup team? Not so sure! But his experience as a player can work in his favor: 5 wins, 7 losses, and 7 ties in five appearances. Like Stricker, Cink is «respected» by his peers and could be a serious option for the PGA of America, somewhat put off after its disastrous decision to appoint a «young» captain at Bethpage. Food for thought.

Like Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, who will turn 54 on June 15, the putting man who came from the other side of the world to Brookline in 1999, is a candidate who should definitely not be overlooked. He himself expressed interest in the role during a recent interview on Golf Channel (above), mentioning his belief that a certain distance from the current generation of players could be an asset for a captain, allowing him to make more considered decisions. And above all, without emotional baggage. Many American golf journalists, Brandel Chamblee chief among them, are certainly advocating for the 1997 Open champion.