Presidents Cup skipper Woods clears the air with Reed

LOS ANGELES: Tiger Woods has cleared the air with Patrick Reed in the wake of controversial comments the US Masters champion made following the American team’s Ryder Cup loss in September, the 14-time Major winner said.

Speaking after the first round at the Hero World Challenge, an event he hosts in the Bahamas, Woods addressed an issue that could affect the harmony on the US team he will captain at next year’s Presidents Cup in Australia.

Woods would not divulge exact details of his conversation with Reed, who rocked the Ryder Cup team boat when he publicly complained that his historically successful pairing with Jordan Spieth had been disbanded in the Paris defeat.

Reed told the New York Times that he had been “blindsided” when captain Jim Furyk opted against pairing him with Spieth, the 28-year-old instead playing and losing twice with Woods as a fractious US team was well beaten by Europe.

“We spoke after the Ryder Cup for a long period of time and, you know, we talked amongst us and it will stay between us,” Woods said of his conversation with Reed.

Woods and Reed could yet team up at the Presidents Cup, with the former hoping to compete as a play- ing captain, saying he would take part if he qualified automatically and left open the option of selecting himself if he did not.

“Now, if I don’t make it on points, then it’s up to myself, my vice-captains and the rest of the players who are already on the team, who is the best suited to play,” he said.

“If we find, if we think that it’s someone else, then I don’t play.” — Reuters