Tiger Woods as Davis Love III’s fourth captain’s pick for the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup team? Seriously?
Matt Kuchar was kidding about Tiger Woods as 4th Ryder Cup pick. Right?
David Cannon/Getty Images
Nah, Matt Kuchar was having a little fun with us on Monday when he said during the Q&A portion of Love’s announcement of Kuchar, J.B. Holmes, and Rickie Fowler as three of his four Wild Card choices that Tiger would be No. 4. Right?
Love’s official unveiling of his options was the snoozefest such events usually are until Kuchar threw out Woods’ name as that potential 12th and final member of Team USA.
“I heard even, possibly, this is hearsay, but I’ve heard maybe even Tiger Woods could potentially be a pick,” Kuchar said via Skype. “That would be legen- [wait for it] dary.
“Legendary,” he spelled out for those unfamiliar with Barney Stinson.
Bombshell from Matt Kuchar, who lets out he's even heard @TigerWoods could be a pick. Kuchar: "That would be legend-ary." #Wow #RyderCup
— Jeff Babineau (@GolfweekBabz) September 12, 2016
Surely, Tiger’s fellow Fresh Prince merry prankster was just trying to wake everyone up by dropping that particular piece of data. Because Woods, Love’s stats man as a vice captain, has not hit a ball in competition since last year’s Wyndham Championship and said only recently he hoped to mount his latest comeback from injury at the Safeway Open next month.
So, yeah, just a joke, even as Kuchar sang the praises of the former world No. 1 and how unbelievable it would be to have Woods in a dual role at Hazeltine.
“That’s just hearsay, it could strictly be rumor,” Kuchar said with as straight a face as the ever-smiling seven-time PGA Tour winner could muster. “Imagine Tiger as a playing captain. Absolutely incredible. ... Gosh, imagine that, Tiger Woods playing Team USA, being a captain. That would be incredible. Just sayin’.”
Davis: Tiger's been wearing Kuchar out with calls for last week.
— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) September 12, 2016
Kuchar: Hey, what about Tiger playing?
Conspiracy theorists:
Or, maybe Kuchar was just trying to build some drama into the seemingly never-ending process of fielding a U.S. team that, once again, will hope to use revenge as motivation to end the European stranglehold on the cup. Because, even during halftime of a Sunday night NFL game between the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 25, the disclosure of that final pick has now become must-see TV.
