Louisville (United States) (AFP) – Tiger Woods remains in talks with PGA of America about being captain of the 2025 US Ryder Cup team, but wonders if he has time for the job’s responsibilities.
The 48-year-old American, a 15-time major winner, still struggles to walk 72 holes at tournaments after suffering severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash. But Woods was 60th at last month’s Masters and is playing this week at the PGA Championship at Valhalla, so it’s still a possibility he would guide the Americans next year at Bethpage Black against holders Europe.
Woods said last month at the Masters that he and PGA of America chief executive officer Seth Waugh were in talks about the captaincy. “We’re still talking. There’s nothing that has been confirmed yet,” Woods said Tuesday. “We’re still working on what that might look like. Also whether or not I have the time to do it.”
Among the things taking up time now for Woods is his role on the PGA Tour Policy Board negotiating subcommittee on a possible merger deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Information Fund (PIF), financial backers of rival LIV Golf. “I’m dedicating so much time to what we’re doing with the PGA Tour, I don’t want to not fulfil the role of the captaincy if I can’t do it,” Woods said. “I need to feel that I can give the amount of time that it deserves.”
Woods said that he is able to make many of the shots that electrified fans in his younger days, but still struggles to walk a full 72 holes at a tournament. “My body is OK. I wish my game was a little bit sharper,” Woods said. “I don’t have a lot of competitive reps so I’m having to rely on my practice sessions and getting stuff done either at home or here on-site. I need to be ready mentally and physically come Thursday.”
Woods is battling back issues he lacked when the event was last at Valhalla a decade ago. “Back is now fused,” Woods said. “I’m always going to feel soreness and stiffness in my back, but that’s OK. Just need other body parts to start feeling better. I can still hit shots. Getting around is more of the difficulty that I face day-to-day and the recovery of pushing myself either in practice or in competition days.”
Woods, who shares the all-time PGA Tour record of 82 career wins with Sam Snead, still feels like he has more titles in him. “I still feel that I can win golf tournaments. I still feel I can hit the shots and still feel like I still have my hand around the greens and I can putt,” Woods said. “I just need to do it for all four days, not like I did at Augusta for only two.”
– Tiger ‘mythological’ –
Playing alongside him those first two days at the Masters last month was ninth-ranked Max Homa, who was enthralled at the form Woods displayed. “His golf game was incredible. He hit it great,” Homa said Tuesday. “His skill level, his talent is still just mesmerizing. It always would be crazy to think he would win another one, but watching him play those two days at Augusta, I very much thought he could win another golf tournament. I don’t know tank-wise, but he works his (rear) off and he’s really good at golf so I would put nothing past him at this point. Tiger feels like a mythological creature, especially when you look back on some of those seasons he had…I mean just absurd golf.”
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