Tiger Woods will be a part of the 43rd Ryder Cup this week at Whistling Straits. U.S. Captain Steve Stricker has made that very clear.
“He’ll be there in some way, shape or form,” USA captain Steve Stricker said.
There has been no announcement about whether Woods will physically be on site. It seems highly unlikely, given the fact that Woods was not selected as a Vice Captain. That is a role that he almost certainly would be filling this week if his health and rehab schedule allowed for it.
Vice Captains for Team USA include Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson.
“He could be there physically with us, or he’ll be at home on the phone with us,” Stricker added. “I’ve already gone back and forth with him with texts. He’ll participate, he wants to participate. He wants to be there for the guys. He’s an unbelievable player, right, but I think he brings more to the table as a captain or an assistant captain. It’s odd saying that, but he’s so fully invested in all things Team USA. So many guys look up to him. And when he was an assistant or a captain, he had the time to be in everybody’s back pocket.”
Whatever role Tiger plays this week remains to be seen. But having him available in whatever capacity can only be a good thing.
He has the respect of the players and a wealth of experience.
Perhaps most importantly, he has the full respect of Captain Stricker.
“He knows everything about how to play the game,” Stricker said. “And he’s a student of the game. He knows everything about everybody, it seems like. You would think he wouldn’t care about somebody on the Tour way down in the world rankings, but if they are playing well, he knows everything about that guy. It’s crazy when he talks about guys you know he hasn’t made much contact with. He does his homework.
“That’s just the way he is. He doesn’t leave anything to chance. And that’s how he played the game. And that’s how he is as a captain or an assistant captain. He puts in the time and the work, and he wants to be the best at whatever he is doing.”
“We spent so much time on the phone leading into the 2017 Presidents when he was my assistant talking about a ton of things. He gets on it early. He’s committed.”
“And that’s what the guys see and appreciate.”
Perhaps Zach Johnson summed it up best, adding, “He is an asset through and through and will be at Whistling Straits whether he’s there or not.”
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