Tiger Woods Will Be Part Of Ryder Cup Team USA 'In Some Capacity'

The Ryder Cup is still almost a year away, but there’s one thing US captain Zach Johnson is certain of – Tiger Woods will have some involvement in the tournament at Rome’s Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Johnson’s team will likely begin as strong favourites next September, despite being away from home, as they try to defend the trophy they won by 19-9 at Whistling Straits, and he can only see positive results coming from the 15-time Major winner’s involvement. He said: “I don’t know if he will be here next year, but he will be part of this team in some capacity. He already is frankly. He loves the Ryder Cup. He has made it a priority of his and wants to be a part of it as best he can.”

Woods has played in eight Ryder Cups since making his debut in 1997 and last played in the USA’s defeat to Europe in 2018. However, he has endured a long road back from an injury he sustained in a car accident in February last year. That ruled him out of last year's tournament, where he had been earmarked as a vice-captain. However, he still had an influence on proceedings, with captain Steve Stricker saying in his closing speech: "Tiger has been a big part of this, so a big shout-out to him."

Woods last competed in the 150th Open at St Andrews in July, where he missed the cut. According to Johnson, though his influence on the game remains undiminished in spite of his recent difficulties, and that’s something he hopes to harness next year. He said: “Obviously he’s gone through some things as of late that make it difficult, but he and I will be in constant communication. He has great ideas, is always positive and the beauty of where we are as Team USA is we’ve got some really great youth that are participating now at a higher level. They are great kids and their role model on the golf course is Tiger Woods.”

While it’s not known exactly how Woods will be involved in the team, the course is known for its challenging elevations – something he may struggle with considering his obvious discomfort at times during the three Majors he’s played in this year.

Earlier, the Woods revealed the preliminary field for November’s Hero World Challenge, which he hosts. However, he was not among the 17 names. Whole there are three positions to be filled, it suggests the level of fitness needed for him to become more competitive may still be some way off.