DOES TIGER PLAY THE CUP?
YES
Tiger will definitely be part of the playing contingent at Royal Melbourne.
Woods managed to finish 13th on the automatic qualifying list despite playing a very limited schedule in 2019 and his record on Alistair MacKenzie-designed courses and Melbourne’s Sandbelt is outstanding.
Sure, there are other quality players deserving of a captain’s picks, but Tiger will seek out opinions from the team before making his selection next month. And it is impossible to imagine any of those eight players suggesting one of the best golfers of all time sit out.
Woods did battle his body as 2019 wore on, however, the weather in Melbourne in December will alleviate the issues he faced when missing the cut at The Open.
And I am certain if you asked Tiger who he would put forward to hole a putt for his life he would nominate himself, and with his pride as Captain on the line this decision will be no different.
- Jimmy Emanuel
NO
Tiger Woods had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee the week of the Tour Championship. It was your basic clean out of cartilage damage and he was apparently walking pain free within a week.
But add this procedure to the niggling neck and back injuries that have plagued him since he won the Masters in April, and his body is unlikely to be in great shape for a playing campaign at the Presidents Cup.
You have to also consider he will be playing the week before in his event in the Bahamas before jumping on his private plane and flying to Melbourne for the Cup. What shape he arrives in is anybody’s guess.
There are currently four players in front of him in the American team standings. Tony Finau is a lock. As is US Open champion Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler, who has been on the US team for the past two Presidents Cups.
The only other player in front of Woods is Patrick Reed, who had issues with other team members and the captaincy at the Ryder Cup last year. While there is no doubting the talent of the man dubbed ‘Captain America’, Woods may exclude him in the name of team harmony.
But that doesn’t mean he should pick himself. Imagine if he does and he hurts himself playing his event and can’t physically tee it up at Royal Melbourne. I suspect, despite the urging of the eight automatic qualifiers to pick himself, he will turn to an old stager in Phil Mickelson to join the team.
Woods has absolutely nothing to gain by becoming the second playing Captain in Presidents Cup history and he knows it. I reckon he will be happy enough to steer the ship, rather than man the engines.
- Brendan James