Presidents Cup 2019: Tiger Woods picks himself to play at Royal Melbourne
It could only go one way. As captain of the USA Presidents Cup team, Tiger Woods had to select four players to represent his country in Melbourne. If he was to play, he had to pick himself. Aussie golf fans will be pleased.
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Update: Victory in Japan last week was the crucial final piece of the selection puzzle for Tiger Woods who has picked himself to be just the second playing captain in Presidents Cup history.
The 43-year-old golfing icon uttered the words fans had been hoping for when he said “I’m going to choose Tiger Woods” as the fourth and last of his captain’s picks for the December showdown at Royal Melbourne.
It looms as a potential final playing visit to Australia for the 15-time major champion who conceded knee surgery in August delayed the decision his assistant captains, and his teammates, said was a “no-brainer”.
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“As far as concerning me as a player they said, “You’re on the team, you’re playing”,” Woods said on Thursday.
“I said, “Hold on, slow your roll. I’m coming off of knee surgery. I don’t know how it’s going to be. Let me have Japan to test it and feel it and figure it out”.
“So for me, the ZoZo Championship was a big event, and it validated that I could go play and I thought I could help the team.”
That victory was Woods 82nd, equalling the all-time PGA Tour record.
His decision to pick himself was heralded by his teammates, including US Open champion Gary Woodland, who is on his first Presidents Cup team.
“Tiger Woods is the most competitive person I know,” Woodland said.
“Whether he’s playing or he’s being, you know, being captain, whichever part it is, he wants to win.
“That flows through the rest of the team. So we’ve got 12 guys going down there fired up, ready to go, and with one goal in mind, and that’s to win.”
Woodland, 2017 Masters champion Patrick Reed and Tony Finau were Woods other three picks to take on the International team which includes Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day, who won the 2013 World Cup at Royal Melbourne.
With a star-studded team, which includes seven of the world’s top 10 players, Woods said he may limit his own playing over the four-day event to help manage his captaincy load.
But Woods, who opposing captain Ernie Els called “our generation’s bess player”, said he would do whatever was needed for his team to win.
“With the format change I just have to play the one match prior to singles (on Sunday) ... and if I happen to play more, I have to play more,” he said.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, but something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
“On paper, we certainly have the advantage in the world rankings. But when you start out on Thursday, it’s 0-0.
“You have to go and beat the other guys, and that’s what we’re going to try and do.”