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| Tiger Woods’ poor Open form fails to impress USA Ryder Cup team captain | Tiger Woods’ poor Open form fails to impress USA Ryder Cup team captain |
| (30 days later) | |
| Tiger Woods still harbours ambitions to make the USA Ryder Cup team for Gleneagles but in Sunday’s fourth round Tom Watson shot a four-under-par 68 while the 14-times major winner limped in with a 75 to finish five shots behind the 64-year-old captain. | |
| “It’s just one day, it’s a snapshot, it’s not a big deal,” Watson said afterwards, but if Woods had seen it as a chance to impress the man 26 years his senior and playing only 50 minutes ahead of him, it did not happen. “If he’s playing well and in good health, I’ll pick him but the caveat to that is if he does not make the FedEx Cup, what do I do then?” the captain said, referring to the end-of season play-off for the US Tour. | “It’s just one day, it’s a snapshot, it’s not a big deal,” Watson said afterwards, but if Woods had seen it as a chance to impress the man 26 years his senior and playing only 50 minutes ahead of him, it did not happen. “If he’s playing well and in good health, I’ll pick him but the caveat to that is if he does not make the FedEx Cup, what do I do then?” the captain said, referring to the end-of season play-off for the US Tour. |
| “That’s the key. It looks like he’s playing without pain. But, again, he’s not in the mix. He needed to get some points to get some money and get in the FedEx Cup. That’s what I was hoping he was doing this week.” | |
| Watson has to submit his three names in the first week of September and, with the 2013 Open champion Phil Mickelson also struggling in the rankings, the USA captain will face an anxious few weeks either side of the US PGA Championship. | Watson has to submit his three names in the first week of September and, with the 2013 Open champion Phil Mickelson also struggling in the rankings, the USA captain will face an anxious few weeks either side of the US PGA Championship. |
| “Everybody is thinking that I’m going to pick them automatically,” he added. “I can assure you that I’m not going to pick them automatically. I said about Tiger that I’ll pick him if he’s playing well and he’s in good health. And Phil is the same way. If he’s playing well, how can you not pick those two?” | “Everybody is thinking that I’m going to pick them automatically,” he added. “I can assure you that I’m not going to pick them automatically. I said about Tiger that I’ll pick him if he’s playing well and he’s in good health. And Phil is the same way. If he’s playing well, how can you not pick those two?” |
| Woods rushed back from March’s disc surgery and, after a bright start with a three-under 69 in the first round, fell farther down the field from then on in a major he has won three times. He was left with little to commend the experience other than the fact that he has given his back a thorough workout, particularly dealing with the tough links rough. The 2006 champion was also given a marvellous ovation as he finished with a par at the 18th while simultaneously the new pretender, Rory McIlroy, was lifting his clubs out of his car boot in front of the Royal Liverpool clubhouse. | Woods rushed back from March’s disc surgery and, after a bright start with a three-under 69 in the first round, fell farther down the field from then on in a major he has won three times. He was left with little to commend the experience other than the fact that he has given his back a thorough workout, particularly dealing with the tough links rough. The 2006 champion was also given a marvellous ovation as he finished with a par at the 18th while simultaneously the new pretender, Rory McIlroy, was lifting his clubs out of his car boot in front of the Royal Liverpool clubhouse. |
| Woods faces a big task if he is to be called into service with Watson’s USA team in September. “I got picked by Corey [Pavin] in Wales [in 2010],” Woods said. “I was coming off an injury as well there with my achilles, and I sat out for most of the summer. And I felt like I was able to contribute to the team. That’s all you want as a pick, you want someone who can contribute to the team, whether it’s in support or it’s in play. I did it then and hopefully I can actually earn my way on to this team. | Woods faces a big task if he is to be called into service with Watson’s USA team in September. “I got picked by Corey [Pavin] in Wales [in 2010],” Woods said. “I was coming off an injury as well there with my achilles, and I sat out for most of the summer. And I felt like I was able to contribute to the team. That’s all you want as a pick, you want someone who can contribute to the team, whether it’s in support or it’s in play. I did it then and hopefully I can actually earn my way on to this team. |
| “He’s the captain. Obviously it’s his decision. He’s going to field the best 12 players that he thinks will win the Cup back. And I hope I’m on that team.” | “He’s the captain. Obviously it’s his decision. He’s going to field the best 12 players that he thinks will win the Cup back. And I hope I’m on that team.” |
| The yardstick for that is to qualify for the play-offs and, with Woods languishing at 209 in the list, 10 places above Watson but with Sunday’s reverse yet to be factored into the figures, that leaves him with a lot of work to do, although he seemed to rule out playing extra tournaments outside the US to get into the equation. | The yardstick for that is to qualify for the play-offs and, with Woods languishing at 209 in the list, 10 places above Watson but with Sunday’s reverse yet to be factored into the figures, that leaves him with a lot of work to do, although he seemed to rule out playing extra tournaments outside the US to get into the equation. |
| “Well, I’d like to win the next two tournaments [and] I’m in [without a wildcard],” he said, referring to the WGC event at Akron and the US PGA. “That should take care of that.” | “Well, I’d like to win the next two tournaments [and] I’m in [without a wildcard],” he said, referring to the WGC event at Akron and the US PGA. “That should take care of that.” |