Gary Woodland joins Team USA as fifth vice-captain for 2025 Ryder Cup

Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, joins a strong group of deputies that includes Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, and Brandt Snedeker, as the U.S. side looks to bounce back from their defeat to Europe in Rome two years ago.

"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, our team of vice captains, and our players."

Woodland's appointment caps a remarkable year in which he returned to competitive golf following brain surgery in 2023, earning the PGA Tour Courage Award for his resilience and dedication to the sport.

For U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, Woodland's experience and perspective made him a natural choice.

"I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for Gary and all he has accomplished in this game," said Bradley. "As a major champion and someone still competing at a high level, he understands the pressure and intensity of golf's biggest stages. He will be a valuable leader for us in the lead-up and throughout the Ryder Cup at Bethpage."

Bradley, making his debut as captain, will lean on the veteran presence of his vice-captains to guide a young American squad as they attempt to reclaim the Ryder Cup on home soil.

Team USA will be aiming to end a troubling trend - having won just three Ryder Cups since 1999, with Europe claiming eight victories during that same stretch. Their most recent triumph came in 2021 at Whistling Straits, but a resurgent European side hit back with a convincing win in Italy in 2023.

Bethpage Black, hosting its first Ryder Cup, is expected to be an electric setting for the 45th edition of the storied competition, with passionate New York crowds likely to create one of the most intense atmospheres in tournament history.