The United States Ryder Cup team helmed by captain Keegan Bradley has added its fifth vice captain to the leadership room ahead of the biennial competition set for Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. Bradley announced Wednesday that Gary Woodland would join Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson, all of whom were previously announced as vice captains.
“I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for Gary and all he has accomplished in this game,” Bradley said. “As a major champion and someone who is still competing at a high level, he is well aware of the demands of performing on golf’s biggest stages. He will be a valuable leader for us over the coming months and throughout the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.”
Woodland’s inclusion continues a trend of the United States bringing fresh blood into its locker room. Furyk is the lone vice captain with prior leadership experience in the Ryder Cup; he served as captain in a losing effort during the 2018 competition in Paris. Kisner, Snedeker and Simpson have all served as assistant captains in the Presidents Cup, while Woodland will be making his first Ryder Cup appearance as either a player or vice captain.
The 41-year-old was a member of the 2019 Presidents Cup team at Royal Melbourne Golf Club captained by Tiger Woods. Woods served as a playing captain en route to a tight 16-14 victory over the international team. The possibility of Bradley serving as a playing captain has been raised more regularly in recent weeks as he climbed inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings and the U.S. Ryder Cup rankings following his win at the Travelers Championship.
If Bradley does decide to play, Woodland and the rest of the vice captains will likely serve elevated roles as Bradley’s workload would drastically increase. The last time a U.S. Ryder Cup captain played in the competition was Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“I am extremely excited and grateful to Keegan for the opportunity to support the U.S. team at the 2025 Ryder Cup,” Woodland said. “Keegan’s passion for this event is contagious and I am thrilled to be a part of it. With just over two months to go until we arrive at Bethpage, I am fully committed to doing everything I can to help Keegan as well as our team of vice captains and players.”