Woods back on top, bidding to end Ryder Cup struggles
Reed relishes villain’s role
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France, Sept 25, (AFP): Tiger Woods rediscovered his former glories by claiming his first title in over five years last weekend, but now he turns his attentions to a competition he has never dominated – the Ryder Cup.
The 14-time major champion was peerless for 11 years as an individual, although struggled with the team dynamics of the match-play showdown and has only been on the winning side once in seven previous appearances.
His return from the wilderness of back surgeries and personal problems has brought about the opportunity to have another crack at the Ryder Cup in France, where he looks more relaxed and at ease among his teammates after serving as a vice-captain at Hazeltine two years ago and at the 2017 PresiLake dents Cup.
And Woods is hoping that in the new stage of his career, and after his stunning victory at the Tour Championship, he can help the United States end their 25-year wait for a win on European soil.
“We haven’t done well,” he admitted to reporters at Le Golf National on Tuesday.
“My overall Ryder Cup record, not having won as a player since 1999 is something that hopefully we can change.
“We haven’t won as a US squad here in 25 years on foreign soil, so hopefully that will change this week, as well.”
The 42-year-old, at Le Golf National for the first time since in 1994 as an amateur, unsurprisingly looked in an upbeat mood playing alongside possible partner Bryson DeChambeau, old adversary Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed in practice on Tuesday.
Woods looked to have carried his strong play from tee to green from East to Paris, as he and his teammates took their time trying to come to grips with the vagaries of the undulating areas around the Albatros greens.
A different reception will surely face him when the competition starts, though, after he was greeted warmly on Tuesday by the French spectators, many of whom would never have seen him play before.
Patrick Reed looked at the first tee’s huge 7,000-seat grandstand at Le Golf National and laughed, pondering the hecklers he will face when his American squad face Europe starting Friday in the Ryder Cup.
“Why only 7? Couldn’t you get more?” Reed joked. “When I first saw that on the first tee, I looked up and felt like I kept looking up and up and up. There are going to be so many people that are sitting in there. It’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere.” The 28-year-old reigning Masters champion has been known for loving the jeers and taunts of fans ever since he put finger to lips and shushed European fans in 2014 after sinking a long putt at Gleneagles.
“The first tee is going to be just so much fun,” Reed said. “I can’t wait to hear all the little cheers and just little quirky things they can do and say, because it’s always fun coming overseas and hearing all the little playful jabs and chants that they have going on.”
His antics earned him the nickname “Captain America” and a villain’s role he readily relishes this week as the trophy holders invade France.
“Coming overseas, Captain America, I was supposed to be the villain, just like when Ian Poulter comes to the States, he’s the villain,” Reed said.
Reed