Tiger Woods “will do whatever it takes” to help the U.S. Ryder Cup team win at Hazeltine in 2016, and that means serving as an assistant captain to Davis Love III if he can’t make the team as a player.
Tiger Woods to serve as captain-in-training at 2016 Ryder Cup?
Tiger Woods has told American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III that he wants to be a part of next year’s team, in any capacity.
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Woods, whose apprenticeship to Love could serve as a tryout as a future captain, has told next year’s skipper that he wants to be part of the squad in any capacity. The former world No. 1 has played on just one winning team in seven Ryder Cup starts and is back on the disabled list until sometime in 2016 after undergoing back surgery two weeks ago.
“I think Tiger, if he is healthy for the whole year, will be fine,” Love told Sky Sports News on Tuesday during an appearance at the U.S. site a year ahead of the next biennial tilt.
It's exactly 52 weeks until event starts, or 367 days. So, yeah, building the hype in a week with no PGA Tour event. https://t.co/nya3W3GKhX
— Steve Elling (@EllingYelling) September 29, 2015 “If he is in and out, does not get to play a whole lot of tournaments, it will be tough for him to make the team,” Love said. “He was showing signs before the last surgery that he was playing well and he desperately wants to make the team, he does not want to be an assistant captain ... He wants to play.”
If Woods, currently No. 299 in the world golf rankings, is unable or ineligible to suit up for the 12-man unit, or does not warrant a captain’s pick, he would prowl the sidelines if necessary.
“Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, they have all said, ‘We will do whatever it takes to help you,’ and we have them on the list,” Love said. “They are obviously guys that could be future captains, guys that we want around the team. We are hoping that all four of them are playing -- we need their veteran leadership -- but, if not, they have said, ‘Look, I will do whatever it takes.’
“Past captains have said the same thing, so we have a family now of willing participants, whether they are going to play or be assistant captains.”
Injuries forced Woods to skip the 2014 matches at Gleneagles, where the Euros beat the Americans for the eighth time in the last 10 meetings.
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