The days of seeing Tiger Woods charging up the leaderboard may not yet be over.
Woods has been recovering since February from injuries sustained in a car crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal city located in Los Angeles County, California. In the single-car crash, Woods suffered a shattered ankle and two leg fractures, one of which was a compound fracture and required surgery. At 45 years old, after having already undergone a number of surgeries to repair his back, many have doubted Woods’ ability to play the game of golf again.
The U.S. captain for the upcoming Ryder Cup — Steve Stricker — isn’t shutting the door on Woods’ golf future.
“I’ve talked to Tiger a lot,” Stricker told Carl Paulson and Dennis Paulson on SiriusXM’s “Inside the Ropes” on Wednesday. “He’s a part of this Ryder Cup family; he won’t be able to be a captain’s assistant this time around just because of his ongoing rehabilitation to try to get better and try to play golf again, and that is going well. He’s progressing, he’s doing well, things are moving in the right direction.”
The Ryder Cup will take place at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin from September 24-26. And while Stricker’s update that Woods is “doing well” certainly gives golf fans hope for the future, Woods will not be attending the Ryder Cup this year.
“He’s just not able to be there at this time,” Stricker said of Woods. “He’s progressing nicely but Whistling Straits is a tough place to get around. He’s already been helping and will continue to do so.”
On Wednesday, Stricker announced the completion of the U.S. Ryder Cup team by selecting Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Daniel Berger and Scottie Scheffler. They’ll join Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
“Everybody’s getting younger in this sport, it seems like,” Stricker said. “They are playing better at a younger age. They get some match-play competition under their belts at the amateur level. They bring in an excitement level that is unmatched. They are eager, willing to learn, and they just want to have that opportunity and will do anything for that opportunity.”
For the first time since 1995, Phil Mickelson will not be playing in the Ryder Cup. Instead, he’ll be serving alongside Stricker as a vice captain.
“I’ve been staying in close contact with both Freddie [Couples] and Phil, talking about all things Ryder Cup, for a while now,” Stricker said. “They provide honest and impactful feedback, and both have such a passion for the Ryder Cup. I’m honored that they were willing to join our team and help put us in the best position to win in a few weeks at Whistling Straits.”
Team Europe won the last Ryder Cup in 2018 at Le Golf National.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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Source: Dailywire
