Tiger to be Ryder focal point despite so-so play this year

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This article was published 25/09/2010 (5816 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TIGER WOODS refuses to look at this Ryder Cup any differently from the other five times he has played. Based on how bizarre this year in golf already has been, he might want to reconsider.

As usual, Woods is a central figure.

He had to sit out the last Ryder Cup while he recovered from knee surgery. The Americans not only won without him at Valhalla to end a decade of European dominance, they won by their largest margin in 27 years. Now they go to Celtic Manor Resort in Wales as the defending champion, with the No. 1 player in the world back on their side. So what does that make them?

Underdogs, of course.

“I think the Europeans will be favoured,” U.S. captain Corey Pavin said. “We will be playing in front of a fan base that’s going to be European. We are playing a golf course that they play one of their tour events on. Can Team USA overcome those things? I think we can, but it’s an uphill battle.”

Pavin is not just trying to flatter the opposition.

Europe has not lost at home since 1993, and it has never had a team quite like this. It is so strong that all 12 of its players are among the top 50 in the world ranking. It is so stacked that captain Colin Montgomerie did not pick Paul Casey, who is No. 7 in the world. And to think that six years ago, Europe didn’t have a single player ranked that high.

“An embarrassment of riches,” Montgomerie said.

In more than 80 years of Ryder Cup history, the Americans never had a player without a PGA Tour title to his credit. Now they have two of them — Jeff Overton, who earned a spot on the team, and 21-year-old Rickie Fowler, a captain’s pick and the first PGA Tour rookie to play in the matches.

Even so, no one stands out quite like Woods.

For the first time in his career, he was not No. 1 in the U.S. standings. He didn’t even qualify for the team. The only reason he has a seat on the charter flight to Wales was because Pavin made him a captain’s pick. That gives Woods a footnote in Ryder Cup history that few could have imagined — the first captain’s pick on either side to be No. 1 in the world. In Woods’ eyes, nothing has changed.

“We just have to win the cup,” he said, something Woods has not celebrated since 1999.

His greatness as an individual — 82 victories worldwide and 14 majors — has never translated into greatness in the Ryder Cup. Woods has a 10-13-2 record, which has created the perceptions that he never liked the Ryder Cup.

Asked if he thought he was a good Ryder Cup player, Woods said, “I think so. You’ve just got to play well at the right time.” He also believes that fans assume a player with 14 majors should have something equivalent as a Ryder Cup record.

“Absolutely they do,” Woods said.

— The Associated Press