The golf world is buzzing with fresh criticism directed at Tiger Woods, as the legendary 15-time major champion faces scrutiny for his ongoing hesitation in accepting the role of U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches at Adare Manor in Ireland.
Former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher, a three-time skipper himself (1991, 1993, 1995), has publicly called out Woods for what he describes as excessive prevarication on the decision.
In recent comments reported across golf media, the 77-year-old Scotsman expressed frustration that Woods is taking too long to commit, despite the PGA of America’s clear preference for him as the top candidate to lead Team USA.
“It would be good for the Ryder Cup if Tiger takes it,” Gallacher told Today’s Golfer. “But he’s prevaricating quite a lot. Usually when people are asked [to be captain], they say yes or no quite quickly.”
Gallacher, a 10-time DP World Tour winner and outspoken voice in the sport, went further in remarks covered by Sportskeeda, accusing Woods of “avoiding the issue” in a way that doesn’t serve the best interests of American golf.
The criticism comes at a pivotal time for the U.S. side, which has not won on European soil since 1993, the year Gallacher’s team fell to Tom Watson’s Americans at The Belfry.
Woods has been non-committal when addressing the captaincy. Speaking ahead of the Genesis Invitational in February 2026, he confirmed discussions with the PGA of America but emphasized competing priorities: “They have asked me for my input on it, and I haven’t made my decision yet. I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour. That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our team — Team USA and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup — if I can do it justice with my time.”
The PGA of America has reportedly set a soft deadline for Woods to decide, ideally before the Masters in April 2026, to allow proper preparations for the centennial Ryder Cup in 2027. Woods previously declined the captaincy for the 2025 event at Bethpage Black (won by Europe), citing time constraints amid his PGA Tour policy work and recovery from injuries.
Europe, meanwhile, solidified its leadership this week, with Luke Donald accepting a rare third consecutive term as captain — aiming to become the first to lead three straight teams to victory.
Donald’s sides triumphed in 2023 at Marco Simone and 2025 at Bethpage Black, heightening the pressure on the U.S. to respond strongly in Ireland.
“Maybe now that all the players are getting paid he’ll feel more comfortable captaining his side of players who are getting paid money,” said Gallacher. “There was a suspicion way back when Mark O’Meara was mooting the fact that the players should get paid to play and Tiger was friendly with Mark.”
Gallacher’s pointed remarks underscore a growing impatience among some in the golf community. Whether the criticism prompts a quicker resolution remains to be seen, but the clock is ticking on one of golf’s most coveted non-playing roles.
