USA TODAY International Edition
Would Tiger pick himself for Cup team?
What will captain Tiger Woods do? The Presidents Cup skipper knows one of the toughest tasks that comes with the job is determining his wildcard picks.
Yes, there’s joy in filling out the team and telling someone they made the squad, but there’s agony in informing a colleague they aren’t a pick to represent the red, white and blue this December in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia.
Woods has four discretionary selections to make, and it won’t be easy considering the depth of talent on hand. Making it even more difficult is Woods will likely be in the mix.
“Tiger, you made the team.” “Tiger, you’re out.”
Wondering what Woods will do will
linger until November, when the four wild-card picks will be announced. Woods often has said he would love to be a playing captain, and if that is to occur, he’ll have to get after it as the threetournament FedExCup Playoffs commence this week.
The Northern Trust at Liberty National in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline and next week’s BMW Championship outside of Chicago form the final two weeks players can wrap up one of the eight automatic spots that will head to Oz.
As it stands, the elite eight are Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay.
A loaded group indeed.
As is the group of players just outside the top eight: reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Kinser, Patrick Reed, Chez Reavie, Charles Howell III, Bubba Watson, Kevin Na and Billy Horschel. Jordan Spieth is out there, too. And don’t forget the wonder boys and recent PGA Tour winners Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa. Oh, and one Tiger Woods.
The only two-time winner of the FedExCup Playoffs is 12th in the Presidents Cup standings and would likely need to win one of the first two playoff events or finish in the top three in each to earn one of the automatic eight spots.
That’s a tall task made taller as Woods has played in only four tournaments since winning the Masters four months ago. With missed cuts in the PGA Championship and then the British Open two weeks ago, where Woods looked listless and far from sharp in both events, he has played just 12 rounds in four months.
But Woods is motivated, as he has often said one of his goals this year was to make it back to the Tour Championship, the playoff finale. It was there, at East Lake outside of Atlanta, where thousands of fans followed Woods down the 72nd hole en route to his winning last year’s Tour Championship, his first victory in five years.
So getting to East Lake is foremost on his mind. He stands 28th in the FedExCup standings, with only the top 30 heading to East Lake. He has to play well just to get to Atlanta, and he has good memories to call upon – he’s finished second twice at Liberty National and he won the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships at Medinah.
Woods knows he has to flash some game if he is to get to Atlanta and remain in the mix for one of his captain’s picks. The playoffs give him that opportunity. As does the kickoff of the 201920 season, although Woods is only scheduled to play one event before November – the ZoZo Championship in October.
It will be tough for Woods to pick himself, or his assistants Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker to nod the affirmative, if he doesn’t pick up his game. It won’t matter how much pressure TV execs dreaming of good ratings will apply.
Woods has to give himself a reason to pick himself. He’ll try to do just that in the playoffs.