Gary Woodland chosen as final assistant captain for US Ryder Cup team

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland will make his first Ryder Cup appearance this year, announced Wednesday as the fifth and final assistant to U.S. captain Keegan Bradley for the matches at Bethpage Black.

Woodland joins Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner and Webb Simpson as U.S. assistants when the Americans try to win back the cup from Europe on Sept. 26-28.

The assistants could take on extra significance this year as Bradley decides whether to be the first playing captain since 1963. Bradley won the Travelers Championship two weeks ago, giving him more wins in the last year than any American except Scottie Scheffler.

Two months remain before the six players qualify, followed by six captain’s picks.

“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,” Bradley said of Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. “He will be a valuable leader for us over the coming months and throughout the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.”

Woodland’s lone experience in team matches was playing in the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, going 1-1-1 in another U.S. victory. Tiger Woods was a playing captain that year.

The Kansas native is favorite among players and a recent winner of the PGA Tour Courage award for having a lesion removed from his brain in September 2023 on a tract that caused unfounded fears.

Woodland was runner-up in the Houston Open this year and is No. 68 in the FedEx Cup.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf