Woods tests out U.S. pairings during dry run in the Bahamas
The Presidents Cup starts next week, but nothing can stop the Americans from staging a dress rehearsal this week.
The Hero World Challenge begins on Wednesday and features all but one member of the U.S. team. Like next week, when he’ll be a player-captain at Royal Melbourne in Australia, Tiger Woods has a dual role this week in the Bahamas as tournament host.
Woods said he has “a lot of hats” to wear over the next couple of weeks.
“When I took the job as captain, I jokingly said I’d like to be a playing captain,” he said on Tuesday. “It was a joke but it turned into reality, and here we are, the second playing captain in the history of the Presidents Cup.” But back to the dress rehearsal. As tournament host this week at the 18-player Hero World Challenge, Woods decides pairings and tee times for Wednesday’s first round at Albany Golf Course. It’s little surprise the ultracompetitive Woods is using his event to get the Americans primed and ready for Melbourne.
Five pairings on Wednesday will feature U.S. Presidents Cup teammates, including Woods playing alongside Justin Thomas. Matt Kuchar is the only member not playing with a teammate after Dustin Johnson withdrew to give his surgically repaired left knee one more week off before heading to Australia.
“It’s great that the guys were able to come here and play,” Woods said. “It’s a busy two weeks for the guys who are here. So, just to have the guys be able to compete and play and shake off a little bit of rust if they have any, work on some things that they’re going to need to either win this event or be ready for next week. Just be in the competitive flow for two weeks, it’s fantastic.”
Woods said not to read too much into Wednesday’s pairings; he just wanted to have everyone play with someone they’re friendly with. Uh-huh. And if some of these pairings happen to get reunited in Melbourne, it will obviously be just a coincidence.
The Hero World Challenge runs Wednesday to Saturday. Afterwards Woods and the Americans head to Australia. There are no members of the Presidents Cup International Team playing in the Bahamas.
RICKIE’S DOING FINE
This week’s Hero World Challenge will be newlywed Rickie Fowler’s first tournament since the Tour Championship in August. Next week, he’ll be in Melbourne, facing the pressure of team competition at the Presidents Cup after being called upon to replace Brooks Koepka, who is recovering from a knee injury.
“It’s definitely not easy to replace the world No. 1,” Fowler said on Monday in the Bahamas.
Fowler is extremely popular among his teammates. In addition to that, Fowler is one of the best putters in the world, an asset for the American on Royal Melbourne’s treacherous greens.