Woods to be given time to make Ryder Cup decision

Tiger Woods will be given time to decide whether he can commit to being USA’s Ryder Cup captain in 2025, with talks to resume after the PGA Championship.

Woods is the favourite to lead America at Bethpage next September but said on Tuesday that the part he is playing in negotiating a peace deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund could rule him out.

Ahead of the second men’s major of the year – which starts at Valhalla in Kentucky on Thursday, live on Sky Sports from 1pm – PGA of America chief executive Seth Waugh said: “Tiger’s been pretty clear.

“I think we all know that he can be pretty focused. One of his many superpowers is that ability to tunnel and decide. He doesn’t do anything that he’s not fully committed to, and we totally respect that. He’s got a lot on his plate right now.

“He’s very active, obviously, on the [PGA] Tour side of things. We want to give him and the committee space to decide how it plays out.

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“We have continued the conversations. Obviously he’s playing in a major and we want to respect that, and we’ll re-engage next week or so.

“Everybody sort of has a timeline for this but we have picked captains later than this. We’ve picked captains earlier than this.

“(Europe captain) Luke Donald was named a year out a year ago and they had a pretty good performance, for instance. We think there’s plenty of time, and putting an artificial date on it is not something we need to do.”

‘Game not big enough for PGA Tour and LIV Golf’

Rory McIlroy – the winner the last time the PGA Championship was held at Valhalla, in 2014 – said he was “concerned” about the chances of unity between the PGA Tour and PIF following the resignation of Jimmy Dunne from the American circuit’s policy board.

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Speaking after world No 2 McIlroy’s press conference, Waugh said: “I’m a very optimistic type.

“I’m sort of hoping it’s darkest before dawn, if you will. I think the best thing for the game is a deal. We’ve been very consistent on that front.

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“What has been an unsustainable business model [LIV Golf] has put pressure on other places like the Tour and quite frankly it puts some financial pressure on us, as well.

“I don’t think the game is big enough for two tours like that, and I think we are diluting the game in a way that is not healthy.

“I hope there’s a deal and I hope there’s urgency because I do think it’s doing damage to the Tour, to the game.”

Watch the PGA Championship live on Sky Sports, with coverage of day one beginning at 1pm on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event. You can also stream the action with NOW.

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