If recent reports are correct then Justin Rose has ruled himself out of the captaincy for the next Ryder Cup – but is that the right decision?
The 45-year-old played in his seventh Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, where he won two points from three matches and proved he can still match the young guns in matchplay.
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Why Rose should turn down captaincy role
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If Rose has decided against being captain, I think he’s made the right choice for a number of reasons, mainly because he’s proven he can still mix it with the best of them.
He’s more than competitive both in regular tournament play and at the Ryder Cup, where he showed he’s a great partner and also a feisty one after his showdown with Bryson DeChambeau and his caddie showed.
Rose won on the PGA Tour in 2025 and, let’s not forget, only lost out to Rory McIlroy in an epic Masters play-off at Augusta National, while he climbed back up into the top 10 in the World Rankings as well.
Form can ebb and flow but two years isn’t such a long time and, especially in The Masters and The Open, he could easily show up and claim a second Major.
He’s got 17.5 Ryder Cup points in his career from his 16 wins in seven appearances, and the way he played in New York suggests he’d be a real asset in Ireland.
Avoid a Keegan Bradley situation
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A second point to note is that appointing a player like Rose could lead to a similar situation Team USA found itself in this year with Keegan Bradley.
Namely that Rose could continue with his good form, win a few big tournaments and then be on the cusp of qualifying for his own team – which as we’ve seen can open a big can of worms.
All the ‘will he-won’t he’ discussions about being a player-captain can’t have helped the USA in the build-up to Bethpage, so with someone still playing well it’s best left alone.
Plus, for Rose personally, he’d be kicking himself if he accepted the captaincy then was playing well enough to make the team again – as Ireland will certainly be his last chance.
Bradley was just itching to get out there and play at Bethpage knowing he was one of the 12 best American players over qualifying, but was left prowling the fairways instead. Rose does not want to be in that situation.
Rose’s Ryder Cup future
Bradley felt the honor of being captain was worth sacrificing perhaps his last chance to play, but I don’t think it’s a straight choice like that for Rose.
His time as captain will surely come, and the way Europe select their leaders they prefer some sort of experience anyway, so Ireland could be the perfect chance for him to be a vice-captain if he fails to make the team.
As that’s a real prospect, you feel he may have to qualify, as wildcards will likely be used on giving younger players a chance – especially in a home Ryder Cup.
The one caveat could be if Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton find themselves on the outside of things when their situation with the DP World Tour is finally sorted out.
There’s a similar situation on the captaincy front, as there aren’t a huge number of candidates due to Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and the like not eligible right now and none of the players younger than Rose likely to be ready.
So a better plan for Rose to build up to being a captain would be to work under a Donald or Molinari in Ireland and then tackle the 2029 Ryder Cup in the USA.
Either way, it makes sense for Rose to focus on being a player in Ireland, and if not getting a taster of the backroom before taking on the ultimate golfing honor.
What do you think? Is Rose right to rule himself out or should he jump at the chance to be Ryder Cup captain? Would he make the team anyway?
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