Furyk names Woods Ryder Cup vice-captain
PALM BEACH GARDENS — One way or another, Tiger Woods is certain to be on hand when the 2018 Ryder Cup is staged in Paris in September.
U.S. captain Jim Furyk made it official at PGA of America headquarters Tuesday, naming Woods and Steve Stricker as his second and third vice-captains for the matches at Le Golf National in Paris, where the Americans will be out to win on European soil for the first time in 25 years.
Europe has won five straight home matches dating to 1995. The U.S. won for only the second time in the last eight meetings overall in 2016 at Hazeltine in Minnesota.
Woods, who is playing only his third event since his return from back surgery this week in the Honda Classic, has said his first priority would be to make this year’s team as a player. Furyk indicated that possibility exists if he shows he’s playing at that level.
“I’m sure we would want him playing on this team,” Furyk said. “But there’s so much time to go.”
Woods is not among the top 138 U.S. players listed on the Ryder Cup website. Dustin Johnson is at the top of that list, followed by West Palm Beach native Brooks Koepka — who is out until the Masters with a wrist injury — and Jupiter’s Justin Thomas.
Furyk previously had named 2016 captain Davis Love III as his first vice-captain and said he expects to name one or two more. Love, Furyk and Stricker all have been in leadership positions for the U.S. team since the PGA of America formed a task force in 2015 to address the string of American failures in the matches.
Furyk said he reached out to Koepka by text recently “and just wished him my best. I had some wrist injuries myself, went through two surgeries.
“I wanted him to know I was really worried about him, cared about him, just wanted to see him get healthy. I know the Masters is first and foremost on his list right now and I would bet that making the Ryder Cup team would be as well. But in order to do that, I’d like to see him get healthy and play well.”
Vogel wins qualifier: T.J. Vogel, a Pembroke Pines native who has spent time on the Web.com Tour, shot a 64 to win the Monday qualifier at Mayacoo Lakes in West Palm Beach.
Nathan Lashley and Andrew Novak both shot 65 and Jhared Hack 66 to also earn spots in the Honda field.
Singh withdraws: Vijay Singh withdrew Tuesday and was replaced by Keith Mitchell. Also, Bill Haas, who was injured in a car wreck last week in Pacific Palisades, Calif., will not play.
Celebs in pro-am: The celebrity pro-am foursome, a mainstay of the Honda Classic, returns today with the quartet of jazz musician Kenny G, rocker Kid Rock, and comedians George Lopez and Larry The Cable Guy. They will tee off at 12:15 p.m. while Indy Car racer Graham Rahal will join Rickie Fowler at 6:55 a.m. Former Florida football coach Steve Spurrier also will participate.