Will Phil Mickelson ever be Ryder Cup captain? Analyst says it’s hard to envision

When the 2025 Ryder Cup was announced at Bethpage Black, many expected Phil Mickelson to get the captain’s duties for Team USA at “The People’s Country Club.”

But Mickelson’s move to LIV Golf and everything that went with it removed that likelihood from the equation. Instead, the PGA of America tabbed Keegan Bradley as Team USA’s leader for the next week’s showdown at Bethpage Black. Luke Donald will captain the Europeans for the second consecutive Ryder Cup.

Prior to LIV’s emergence, the Europeans had a stable of veterans in line to be Ryder Cup captains. But Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, and Sergio Garcia all defected to LIV, as did Henrik Stenson, who was initially named the 2023 Ryder Cup captain before bolting for the breakaway league. That left the Europeans with Donald and a relatively empty cabinet behind him, outside of Justin Rose, who is still playing at a high level at the age of 45.

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Josh Schrock

As for the Americans, it’s unclear who will take over after Bradley is done with his captain’s duties. Mickelson’s name will continue to come up, but Johnson Wagner is unsure if Mickelson would be a fit given all that has happened since his exit for LIV.

“I mean, think about the players that would be on the U.S. team that he would captaining and that maybe feel like he sort of abandoned them and tried to burn the house down on the way out,” Wagner told GOLF’s Subpar co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz on the latest episode. “Like, I think it’s a little bit harder to have a LIV player as a captain.”

Wagner believes Rose would be a “no-brainer’ to be the next Ryder Cup captain for the European side in 2027 at Adare Manor.

To hear more from Wagner, check out the full episode in the video below.

Josh Schrock

Golf.com Editor

Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com. Before joining GOLF, Josh was the Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago. He previously covered the 49ers and Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area. A native Oregonian and UO alum, Josh spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog, thinking of how the Ducks will break his heart again, and trying to become semi-proficient at chipping. A true romantic for golf, Josh will never stop trying to break 90 and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s major drought will end (updated: he did it). Josh Schrock can be reached at josh.schrock@golf.com.

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