Captain Tiger picks himself to play in Presidents Cup
Tiger Woods will have an ear piece, a radio and his golf clubs at the Presidents Cup.
Woods created his own slice of history Thursday night by becoming the first Presidents Cup captain to use one of his wild- card selections on himself.
He is the second playing captain in the Presidents Cup. Hale Irwin played in the inaugural matches in 1994 when he qualified for the team. He had Paul Azinger, who was recovering from cancer, as one of his assistants.
Woods was introduced as captain in March 2018, when he was just returning from a fourth surgery on his lower back. He has won three times since then, including his 15th major when he won the Masters in April.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, but something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Woods said.
The decision was hardly a surprise. Woods not only is the Masters champion, just two weeks ago he tied the PGA Tour record with his 82nd career victory at the Zozo Championship in Japan. Woods said it was that trip — not just the victory, but the travel — that convinced him he was fully healed from minor knee surgery in August and capable of contributing in Australia.
The Presidents Cup is Dec. 12-15 at Royal Melbourne.
Woods also selected Tony Finau, who finished just outside the top eight who qualified; U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, who is playing on his first U. S. team; and Patrick Reed.
Missing from the American team is Phil Mickelson, who had played in every Presidents Cup since the matches began in 1994. Woods also left off Rickie Fowler, who got married and has not played since the Tour Championship.
MAGGERT LEADS CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP »
Jeff Maggert used a hot new putter to take the firstround lead in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Bernhard Langer, Jerry Kelly, Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie made moves to catch Scott McCarron in the PGA Tour Champions’ season standings.
Maggert shot an 8-under 63 in perfect conditions at Phoenix Country Club to take a one-stroke lead over Langer, with Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul Goydos and Steve Flesch another shot back, and Kelly and Goosen at 66.
McCarron is tied for 22nd in the 34-man field after a 69.
TEEN LI TURNS PRO, SET TO JOIN SYMETRA TOUR »
Peninsula teen Lucy Li, who first stepped into the spotlight by qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open as an 11-year- old, is ready for the next step in her golfing career. The 17-year- old Redwood City resident notified the U. S. Golf Association and the World Amateur Golf Ranking that she is turning pro, according to published reports. Li will join the second-tier Symetra Tour for the next year, as she is ineligible to compete full time on the LPGA until she turns 18.
Soccer
ANDONOVSKI KICKS OFF USWNT TENURE WITH WIN OVER SWEDEN »
The Vlatko Andonovski era as coach of the U. S. women’s national team began with a nervous 3-2 victory against Sweden at frosty Mapfre Stadium in
Columbus, Ohio.
The U.S. cruised to a 3- 0 first-half lead when Carli Lloyd had two goals and an assist on a goal by Christen Press, but Anna Anvegard scored in the 75th and 79th minutes for Sweden.
Lloyd then sent a penalty kick over the crossbar in the 81st before a sellout crowd of 20,903 who braved a kickoff temperature of 32 degrees. U.S. WOMEN TO HOST OLYMPIC QUALIFYING IN HOUSTON » The World Cup champion U.S. women’s team will head to Houston in January to open the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. The United States is hosting the tournament, which will take place from Jan. 28 to Feb. 9.
Joining the United States in Group A is Costa Rica, Panama and Haiti. Those teams will play at Houston’s BBVA Stadium. In Group B, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis will play at HEB Park in Edinburg, Texas.
The top two finishers will qualify for the Tokyo Olympics next summer. U. S. MEN ADD DEST, PULISIC TO ROSTER FOR NATIONS LEAGUE » Ajax defender Sergino Dest and Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic top a list of nine Europeanbased players called up for the U.S. men’s national team ahead of CONCACAF Nations League games with Canada and Cuba.
This weekend they will join MLS players — including Nick Lima and Jackson Yueill of the Earthquakes — already training in Florida, where the U. S. will meet Canada on Nov. 15. The Americans will conclude Nations League group play against Cuba on Nov. 19 in the Cayman Islands.
Administration
USC GOES OUTSIDE FOR NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR » USC officially announced it has hired Mike Bohn as its new athletic director, breaking from tradition to turn over the program to a veteran collegiate sports administrator with no ties to the school.
USC president Carol Folt announced the hiring nearly two months after Lynn Swann abruptly resigned. The 58-year- old Bohn has spent the past five years as the athletic director at the University of Cincinnati. He also has been the AD at Colorado, San Diego State and Idaho during a 35-year career in administration that began at the Air Force Academy.
Bohn is USC’s first AD since 1993 who was not a former USC football player with no prior experience working in athletic administration.
Baseball
TROUT WINS SEVENTH SILVER SLUGGER » Mike Trout became the sixth outfielder to receive seven Silver Slugger Awards as the Los Angeles Angels center fielder headed the list of honorees. The Silver Slugger is given to the top offensive player at each position.