Flashback to 2014: Phil Mickelson shocks the golf world with is post Ryder Cup take down of captain Tom Watson. Before the press conference was over Mickelson was taking heat form both sides of the Atlantic. It was a shocking moment in Ryder Cup history.
Shortly thereafter he PGA of America, determined to change the American Ryder Cup fortunes, appoint a Ryder Cup Task Force charged with the task of finding the European Team’s secret to dominating the cup.
The task force included past captains Ray Floyd, Tom Lehman and Davis Love III, players Rickie Fowler, Jim Fury, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods along with a few PGA brass.
It didn’t take them too long to name their captain for ’16 at Hazeltine: Davis Love III. I guess they all figured he deserved another chance since he did get his 2012 team to a four point lead on Saturday night. And then they all threw up on themselves.
Fast forward to 2015: Love makes his own shocking announcement last week when he named Tiger Woods an assistant captain at next year’s Ryder Cup. Huh?
Tiger Woods…assistant captain? WTF is going on here.
Isn’t that the Tiger Woods that used to win tournaments by the truck load and majors by the hand full?
Isn’t that the Tiger Woods that was taught to step on his opponents throats when he had them down?
Isn’t that the Tiger Woods that was the most competitive athlete in the sport since he first said “Hello world”?
It can’t be… it must be the Tiger Woods that hasn’t won a major since 2008 and has more back operations than wins in the past two years.
Suffice it to say this is a different Tiger Woods.
Tiger’s passion for all the cups, Ryder and President had been questioned in the past. But his teammates and captains all say he is a he asset to the team. Fine, I believe that. But wouldn’t he be more of an asset if he played himself back into form, won a few tournaments, maybe a major and earned his way onto the team as a player?
This is totally out of character for the formerly uber-competitive Woods. Willing to take a subservient role as an assistant captain when he is still young enough and good enough (when healthy) to warrant at least a captain’s pick to the team is shocking.
Love’s timing is strange also. So far he has named Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Tom Lehman as his assistants and the early naming of Woods is being questioned, well not just the timing but the mere fact that Woods is ready to accept that role.
He has said that he will still try to earn a place on the team but wants to be there in any capacity.
I don’t get it.
If Love wanted Tiger he could have let him try and earn his spot and name him later when it was obvious he wasn’t earning a spot or was playing well enough to be a captains pick.
And this past week at the RSM Classic Love said that if Tiger did earn his way onto the team that he wanted to be a “playing assistant captain.” Really? And Love said that he’s Tiger Woods and Tiger gets what Tiger wants. I choked on that one.
Tiger goes from sitting on his couch to a playing assistant on the Ryder Cup Team. Now that’s shocking.
It is so out of character for Woods I can’t help but think there are ulterior motives at play here.
Maybe Woods wants to ensure his place in Ryder Cup history? Frankly it is pathetic so far. He is 13-14-2 and has played on one winning Ryder Cup team, The Country Club in 1999.
Maybe his back is so much worse then he lets on and he knows he is done.
Maybe he has had an epiphany and was visited by golf’s version of the ghost of Christmas Past and wants to make good on his past misdeeds.
Maybe this will give him the inside track on a Ryder Cup Captaincy and he’ll nab one before Phil Mickelson. I can see him being that competitive.
Or maybe Woods doesn’t have anything else in mind other than helping the team in any way he can. Hmmm now that would really be a shocker.
It’s going to be very interesting next season to see what transpires with Woods and the cup and the entire team.
One thing is for sure: there will be a few more surprises. Nothing moves the needle like Tiger and the Ryder Cup.
Related Articles
