Tiger out of Ryder Cup -- forever?
There's a little blip on Tiger's Web site, tigerwoods.com, in which he says he was offered the chance to be an assistant captain to Paul Azinger for this year's Ryder Cup matches, at Valhalla, in Louisville, Ky. He declined the invitation, for reasons he cites on his website. Here are seven of the reasons he didn't cite:
1) I was last at Valhalla in 2000, for the PGA Championship, where I beat Bob May in a playoff. I'm gonna need a little more incentive to go back.
2) The thing I like about this knee rehab is that it gets me OUT of the Ryder Cup.
3) I'm trying to set myself out of the 2009 Presidents Cup, and showing up at this year's Ryder Cup only hurts those chances.
4) I'll be busy that week with family stuff, teaching Sam the stinger and how to carry a cellphone and a box of Nike shoes to avoid autograph hounds.
5) If I go to the Ryder Cup I might have to answer questions about my knee. I'd rather clean Butchie's car.
6) In the team room, I'd have to act like I feel we have a better team than the Euros. My acting's pretty good, but there are limits.
7) I have more good friends on the Euro team than the American team -- where does the "w" go in awkward?
Posted by: palminster | Jul 15, 2008 8:30:52 PM
The reasons cited above appeared to be clueless jokes. Frankly speaking, I don't know whether Tiggy was interested in the event since the only thing he wanted was to concentrate on his solo performances on the important tour stopovers. Besides, he didn't play well in the Ryder Cup rounds despite his rather commanding record.
Posted by: Baj | Jul 11, 2008 2:09:19 PM
Eric,
What are you talking about? Did you even read my post? I don't recall saying anything about how Tiger feels regarding the Ryder Cup or anything else. I simply pointed readers to another equally idiotic article that I read a few days ago.
I think your comment was intended for 'Garth'
Posted by: eric | Jul 11, 2008 1:54:58 PM
eh Baj the Ryder Cup is about tradition and not the US PGA. I don't know the inner workings of either the British or US PGAs (see there's more than one)however it is a tradition and for you or the author of this idiotic column to suggest how the players feel about it is lame.
Posted by: JB | Jul 11, 2008 9:11:49 AM
I think the US may be better off without Tiger. He clearly has no interest in the Ryder/President's Cup and leaves his famous "A" Game at home. I'd rather see how a hungry grinder who burns to play for his country fares. Considering the colossal margins of defeat in 04 and 06 with Tiger on the team, it can't get much worse with him staying at home.
Posted by: Barco UK | Jul 11, 2008 7:54:18 AM
The whole "next Tiger" thing is nothing new. I remember when Phil Mickelson won the Tuscon Open as an amateur and was written up in golf magazines around the planet as the "next Nicklaus". It is simply a journalistic tool, nothing more or less, and should perhaps be viewed as such
Posted by: UUG | Jul 11, 2008 1:51:23 AM
Totally agree with BAJ. Additionally, Kim need to be more consistent. I mean no missed cut. A great player like Tiger, play to win week in week out. Not win then either missed cut or in the bottom list of the leaderboard. To annoint him the "next one" is rediculous. Remember, all his two wins..Tiger is out! So how you all golf writers/reporters even consider him will be a great golfer!
Posted by: Baj | Jul 10, 2008 5:13:55 PM
I recently read a similarly stupid article on Golf.com. The title of the article was "Time will tell if Anthony Kim will be as great as Tiger Woods." You don't need time to tell you that. Allow me. The title of the article is sensationalistic to put it mildly. It was effective though, because not only did I read the article, but I am also taking the time to write! Honestly, comparing Kim to Woods is like comparing the bump between my hardwood kitchen floor and my carpeted living room to Mt. Everest. What could anyone point to on Kim's resume that suggests he is capable of winning more than 3 or 4 majors in his career? Even if Kim is leaps and bounds better than I give him credit for, and wins 8 or even 10 majors, how does that put him in the same universe as Tiger Woods?
Just to catch up to where Tiger is by age 32, Anthony Kim (23) will have to win PGA Player of the Year this year and the next 8 years in a row. Also over the next 9 years, Kim will need to win 87 tournaments worldwide (including 63 PGA Tour events). And since he has yet to win a major, let's see... 14 in the next 9 years....uh...I don't think so. Shall I continue? Anthony Kim will also need to win 8 out of the next 9 Byron Nelson Awards, be named AP Athlete of the Year 4 times, and become only the second player ever (after Tiger of course) to be named SI's Sportsman of the Year twice. WOW, according to Golf.com Mr. Kim is going to be quite a busy young man over the next few years, but it should be well worth his time as he will no doubt pocket some $800 million for his efforts. Sports writers seem to use the label 'next Tiger' with increasing frequency to describe young and talented golfers, but the simple fact of the matter is that a player like Hogan or Nicklas comes along once in a generation. It is certainly not for me to say how often a player like Woods will come along, but I think it is fair to say that Anthony Kim, even at this early stage in his career, is not that player. Note to sportswriters: For your own sake, please stop using that silly 'next Tiger' label. Aside from being ridiculous, it's an insult to Tiger Woods.
Posted by: Garth Chambers | Jul 10, 2008 4:34:18 PM
You are right on about Woods wanting to get out of the Ryder Cup, and who can blame him.
What a con job this thing is.
Imagine the PGA of America throwing this patriotic blackmail blanket over this thing, and forcing all these high paid,high profiled professionals to give them their valuable time and play for them for free.
What a con job.
I am surprised no one has not yet tell the PGA of America to take a hike.
GC
Mississauga Canada
Posted by: Donk | Jul 10, 2008 2:11:33 PM
Wow - this article represents journalism at its finest! The headline suggests a potentially meaningful story about Tiger's plan for future Ryder Cup matches. In reality, the article lacks anything of substance and is nothing more than a list of really, really bad "jokes." This seems like a rather transparent attempt to increase page views. Nice work.
Posted by: DJ | Jul 10, 2008 1:46:33 PM
Read Mahan's Ryder Cup comments in the latest issue of Golf. I believe him.
Posted by: BevW | Jul 10, 2008 12:49:57 PM
Who asked Tiger if he would be asst. captain...the media or Paul Azinger?
Posted by: Bill P | Jul 10, 2008 12:44:35 PM
What A CLOWN Tiger is!!!