The prolific PGA player was named a vice captain to Team US on Wednesday by Davis Love III, the PGA Tour’s website reported. “That’s his goal.” It seems like an audacious one given the state of the 14-time major champion.
Advertisement
So while a few in the golf industry have criticized Woods’ thirst to play in worldwide team competitions, pointing to his 13-17-3 record in the Ryder Cup and being on just one winning team the seven times he’s played, Love would take issue with that conclusion.
“This is something I want to do”, Woods said in a statement. He’s much more likely to qualify and Love indicated Furyk and Stricker (who is semi-retired but will also apparently still try to play his way on) would be an either/or package…so he may need to find two new captains if they make the team? It would also be incorrect.
Woods didn’t make any comments on Wednesday other than what was on the release announcing the assistant captains and a tweet saying he was excited.
These designations do not preclude any of these players from making the team – either on points or as a captain’s pick. Tiger wants to be a playing assistant. “Tiger is very capable of doing that”.
“Tiger has said: ‘I want to make the team and I want to be a vice-captain.’ He wants to be a playing assistant”.
That dedication spilled over at last month’s Presidents Cup as Woods became the quintessential armchair quarterback.
“Tiger wants to be a leader of that group, but he wants to do it from on the golf course”, Love said. He wants to be in the mix. “He doesn’t want to be the general sitting in the room”.
“He walked off 18 going, I’m ready for the Ryder Cup”, Love said. “I’m not suggesting he doesn’t care about them, that’s not what I’m getting at but he is passionate about the cups, specifically about the Ryder Cup”. “When I asked him about this, he said, ‘Look, I’ll do whatever it takes”. “He was like, ‘Charles, it’s OK”.
Woods, however, wants to do both. Woods has dropped to 384 in the world rankings and has exactly one top-10 finish on the Tour in two years, but Love suggested he has started the road to recovery and has penciled in September 27, 2016, as a date worth keeping.
Advertisement
As to whether Phil Mickelson would be considered, Love said he was impressed with his play at the recent Presidents Cup and would further assess his prospects of making the team as the next year progresses.
