Who is John Wood and what job does the “manager” do on the US Ryder Cup Team?
Following an official announcement, the veteran was named as team manager for the United States Ryder Cup Team, but who exactly is John Wood?
With a wealth of experience, the long-time caddie turned television analyst is undoubtedly one of the best positioned to take the United States Ryder Cup team forward. Of course, it won’t depend on his expertise alone, but it is a good start.
Getting to know John Wood
As you may have seen, the PGA Ryder Cup Committee announced John Wood as the Team Manager of the United States Ryder Cup Team on Wednesday. What that means, is that Wood will take the reins from the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, where he will work alongside the U.S. team captain, vice captains, team members, and PGA of America senior management on all strategic and operational matters related to the U.S. Ryder Cup Team. Needless to say, this is a big moment for Team USA and perhaps even more so for Wood.
Regarding the man himself, Wood has been in the game for a long time. After serving as a U.S. caddie for five players in six Ryder Cups: 2002 - Mark Calcavecchia, ‘04 - Chris Riley, ‘08,’10, and ‘14 - Hunter Mahan and ‘16 - Matt Kuchar, it would be fair to say that the man knows what he’s doing. Interestingly, Wood also worked as a U.S. team assistant during the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France. This is where we come to the other side of Wood’s career, which only serves to cement the point that he is likely the best man for the job. Indeed, following a career of more than 20 years as a caddie on the PGA Tour, Wood joined NBC Sports as an on-course reporter in 2021. To that end, he covered the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, as well as the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy.
Ultimately, Wood’s appointment appears to be the product of a well-mapped-out process, something that the PGA’s CEO Seth Waugh made clear.”We are thrilled to have John join our team as the new U.S. Ryder Cup Team Manager,” Waugh said. “John is a passionate and dedicated individual. His years of experience in domestic and international team competitions as well as his deep understanding of match play dynamics will be a tremendous asset as we create a strategic plan that delivers success at all future Ryder Cups. I’m not sure that we could have invented a better fit for this role in terms of experience, enthusiasm, and relevance.”
Of course, if there is one thing that makes the match between Wood and the team even better, it’s his attitude toward what lies ahead. “There is nothing, and I mean nothing, in my professional career, that I have been more passionate about than the Ryder Cup,” said Wood. “I have been blessed to be a part of six Ryder Cup Teams as a caddie and two as an NBC Sports on-course reporter and I have treasured every single minute of those special, memorable experiences. I am honored to work alongside my friends from the PGA of America, the PGA Ryder Cup Committee, and future Ryder Cup Captains, Vice Captains, and team members to help our Captains and teams get ready to compete in one of the greatest sporting events the world has ever seen. I am grateful to NBC Sports for making it possible for me to take on this role, truly a dream job.”