Burning ambition has Wood fired up
CHRIS WOOD is entitled to a wry chuckle when people ask him whether it’s going to be intimidating being a Ryder Cup rookie in the hostile arena of Hazeltine. The last time he went to Minneapolis he spent two hours being interrogated by a Sheriff with a gun. Now that, he admits, was intimidating.
‘It was back in 2009, it was my first trip to America on my own and I was playing in the USPGA at Hazeltine,’ recalled the 6ft 5in Bristolian.
‘I guess I stood out being taller than everyone else, with straggly hair and a backpack. The next thing I knew I was being taken to this detention room where this Sheriff with his gun was asking me all sorts of questions. I guess looking back it was one of those life lessons you learn but it was a very uncomfortable experience at the time.’
It has been some year for one of the nicest men in the game. Back in May he won the European Tour’s flagship event at Wentworth that virtually confirmed his place in the team. Last month he got married and now here he is, on the verge of ticking off another thing on his bucket list.
‘The whole year has been a bit of a dream come true,’ he added. ‘The wedding was great and winning such a big event in front of all my friends and family was very special. Now I’ve got the Ryder Cup.
‘My first memory was the one at Brookline in 1999. I watched it in the clubhouse at my home club Long Ashton with my dad and a few members.
‘One of them — who has sadly passed away but was very supportive of me and my career — said at one point he had something for me in his car. I was 12 at the time and he came back with a Scotty Cameron putter. I couldn’t believe it.
‘While the adverts were on I’d nip out to the practice putting green with the clubhouse lights on and then come back in after one hole to watch the golf again.
‘Then I got to go to the one at The Belfry in 2002. I remember walking around seeing how pristine it all was and thinking, “Why on earth do these guys ever moan about anything?”
‘I guess that was when I started to form the ambition that I’d love to play in the Ryder Cup one day.’
Given he finished tied fifth as an amateur at the 2008 Open at Birkdale and tied third the following year at Turnberry, it has taken him longer than seemed likely at one stage.
But Wood has shown great character to come back from a series of niggling back injuries that curtailed his progress and, in particular, a wrist problem in 2014 that flared up after playing tennis.
‘I drove up to see a consultant in Leeds and he told me he was very concerned about it,’ said the 28-year-old. ‘When it did finally heal he said it had had the potential to be career ending, and that scared me. I’ve not played tennis since, and I’ve sold my mountain bike.
‘It’s no fun being injured. I missed the Open and a few other tournaments this year with a back problem and I panicked, I thought it was going to stop me making the Ryder Cup team. Even when Darren (Clarke, Europe’s captain) showed me this app on his phone saying I had a 99.9 per cent chance of making it, I still wasn’t convinced.
‘Now I’m just looking forward to it. I’ve been back playing for a few weeks now and I feel fit and ready to go.’
Wood is one of a remarkable four English rookies in the team. ‘It’s amazing to think I played six or so county matches against Sully (Andy Sullivan) and now we’ve come through to be on the same Ryder Cup team,’ he said.
‘I’ve known Dan (Willett) for about 15 years. I remember we’d turn up for England matches and be first in the gym, first on the range, and the last to leave. Our attitudes were totally different to everyone else’s and now you look back and think, “Well yes, I guess it was obvious we’d be the players who’d make it”.
‘It’s brilliant we’ve come through at the same time and we’ve all got the drive and ambition to play in more Ryder Cups together in the future.’
The thing Woody, as he is universally known, is most looking forward to about this one is the camaraderie in the team room. ‘Yes, you mix with these guys on tour and we go out to dinner and have a laugh but there’s nothing like all being on the same side,’ he said.
‘I used to play a bit of football and I miss that team element. I’m looking forward to talking with Ian Poulter (one of Clarke’s vicecaptains) about how to deal with the crowd because I just know he’s going to have lots of invaluable advice. “Do your bit” seems to be the European motto. I like that.’