Tiger will have to earn his way onto Ryder Cup team says Captain Tom Watson

[tmac20]

No Americans who have played a few have a great record. And remember most of the matches he plays are team matches, so his partners can affect his record as well.

Not to mention that he is 4-1-1 in singles matches.

[ChrisP]

Assuming Tiger Woods returns at the PGA Championship (which I think is most likely), he'll come in ranked around 250 on the FedEx Cup Standings. If he doesn't put a good performance at the PGA or Wyndham, he will not have the chance to show Tom Watson he's in shape unless he decides to play over in Europe. So in my opinion, he's going to have to earn his way onto the team fast after his recovery.

[tmac20]

Assuming Tiger Woods returns at the PGA Championship (which I think is most likely), he'll come in ranked around 250 on the FedEx Cup Standings. If he doesn't put a good performance at the PGA or Wyndham, he will not have the chance to show Tom Watson he's in shape unless he decides to play over in Europe. So in my opinion, he's going to have to earn his way onto the team fast after his recovery.

He can also play in the Czech Masters, Italian Open, and Omega European Masters overseas if he feels like he needs to get in some competitive rounds. I'm sure they would give him sponsors exemptions if he didn't already qualify for those tournaments.

[SteveBamford]

My view is that Tiger will need to earn his spot.....to a certain level.  The term 'earn' is open to debate, but if he appears fit and healthy say in July and grabs a Top 10 or a couple across the latter end of the summer, there is no way that he won't make the team.

[jerryleal]

Tom Watson has my unequivocal support on this.

I do wonder if Tiger takes this as motivation or as insult. After passing on the Players, would he rush to prove himself Ryder worthy or adopt a 'screw them if they don't want me attitude'? It's always been such a mystery to guess at what goes on in his mind. His place in history is assured, money isn't an issue, passing Sneed or even winning 100 seems like a lock, and chasing Jack's 18 has been put on hold for another day-so does he care about adding a couple of Ryder cup victories? Does he care about representing  USA? Does he care about the press of appearing to care about team and country?-Who knows?

[phan52]

Tom Watson has my unequivocal support on this.

I do wonder if Tiger takes this as motivation or as insult. After passing on the Players, would he rush to prove himself Ryder worthy or adopt a 'screw them if they don't want me attitude'? It's always been such a mystery to guess at what goes on in his mind. His place in history is assured, money isn't an issue, passing Sneed or even winning 100 seems like a lock, and chasing Jack's 18 has been put on hold for another day-so does he care about adding a couple of Ryder cup victories? Does he care about representing  USA? Does he care about the press of appearing to care about team and country?-Who knows?

My guess is that he doesn't consider it an insult and that he wouldn't want it any other way. It may be a moot point though, because we really don't know at this point how much he will be able to play.

[Spitfisher]

He can also play in the Czech Masters, Italian Open, and Omega European Masters overseas if he feels like he needs to get in some competitive rounds. I'm sure they would give him sponsors exemptions if he didn't already qualify for those tournaments.

What's the likely of him doing that with out 3-4 million guaranteed in appearance money ?

[legitimatebeef]

Just want to say one of my favorite things about this site is the mods' way of supplying avatars to people who don't supply their own. It took me a few beats to figure out "prooneday"s; its pretty funny.

[tmac20]

What's the likely of him doing that with out 3-4 million guaranteed in appearance money ?

If he feels 100% healthy and can't participate in the Fedex Cup playoffs, then why wouldn't he?

[Gunther]

If he feels 100% healthy and can't participate in the Fedex Cup playoffs, then why wouldn't he?

If it comes to that, we'll see what his desire level is. I don't think we'll see him rest of year.

[Wansteadimp]

My guess is that he doesn't consider it an insult and that he wouldn't want it any other way. It may be a moot point though, because we really don't know at this point how much he will be able to play.

I'd imagine that Watson and Tiger will talk/have talked and any media talk is just that and has no major impact one way or the other.

The Czech & Italian Opens are small beer, doubt they have the budget for appearance money. It would be fun to see Tiger in the mountains of Switzerland though.

[FarawayFairways]

My own gut feeling is that we'd rather face an injured Tiger Woods with his cup record of 38% then a hungry form player with no baggage of losing. If you can break Tiger, you can go a long way towards to demoralising the so-called American team (i say so-called as they often give the impression of being indviduals temporarily thrown together rather than a fully functioning team) although I think we saw signs of that changing at Medina for the first time in a generation.

I'm a bit confused with Tom's vacilations on this though. Didn't he say Tiger was a Captain's pick only a few weeks ago? Not sure what kind of message that sends out to those in positions 20-11?

An injured player is rarely anything other than a handicap to any team.

I think we're more wary of a new generation coming through to whom the cup might actually mean something than we are the same tired faces with their sub 50% cup records though. It's been notable in the last few renewals that its been the younger players who've shown the greater appetite and caused us more of a problem

It should be a whole lot easier to bring 'team America' together than it is team Europe. The USA is a sovereign nation after all. Europe is a loose trading bloc driven my deep rooted mutual suspicion bordering on barely concealed dislike. I mean, we've only spent the best part of 10 centuries at war with each other.

Before we get too hung up on the concept of team Europe though, it might be as well to reflect on a few facts.

We last played as GB and Ireland in 1977.

Since 1979 a total of just 28 'continental' Europeans have represented Europe. Of these 9 have come from Spain, (pop'n 47M) and a further 9 from Sweden (pop'n 9.5M). Only Jesper Parnevik of the Swedes has a cup record that exceeds 50%, so it's difficult to argue they've been a decisive influence. Only 2 Germans have managed to make the team in 35 years (admittedly Langer and Kaymer). The Mollinari family has provided more than the rest of Italy combined. France has only provided 2 players and I'm not sure any of them have actually won a point outright yet?

If you took the best cup records from the continent (excluding the Spanish) the team would be: Kaymar, Bjorn, Langer, Rocca, Parnevik, Haegmann, Stenson, Karlson, Molinari (e), Levett, Colsearts, Fulke

Extrapolate their records into a singles match and they'd lose 7-5 (and this is the pick of the bunch remember)

The rump of the team remains GB & Ireland significantly reinforced by Spain. Indeed, Northern Ireland (pop'n 1.7M - about the same as medium sized American city) has produced Major winners McIlroy, McDowell, and Clarke in the last 5-6 years alone

I think there's other reasons why Europe does function better as a unit, but that starts to role back into formative sporting influences and the importance of international team competition that we're all brought up with from a very early age (predominantly football). By contrast America doesn't really engage with international team sport. Most primary team sports in the US are domestic, even though, without any sense of irony, they call one of them the World Series. It's just a hunch, but I've got a feeling that if the American sporting landscape was better plugged into the rest of the planet then the notion of coming together as an international team would be whole lot easier to manage and focus. We've been struck a few times by the American Ryder Cup team, that when it's needed inspiration or motivation how its struggled to find sporting points of reference, and has fallen back instead on a combination of the military and even religion. It seems really strange. I can't think off-hand of any other country that does this?

For all that though, I think America will win at Gleneagles as I think Tom Watson will largely draw the sting from the European team that has been used to help motivate and galvanise teams since 1985, and particularly so since 1991.

[FarawayFairways]

Had a rethink, and now reckon that there is a sports team that uses religion as motivation other than the American Ryder Cup team. It's the Pakistani cricket team. Not sure who it motivates though? I suspect the opposition go up a level or two myself

I also sense that America with its cultural tendancy to celebrate the individual rather then the collective effort is missing a massive trick with the way they've presented Tiger Woods to the opposition, their own players, and their supporters over the years. I actually feel they're putting Tiger in a little bit of a no win situation

Allow me to explain

Tiger is the unstoppable win machine who guarantees 5 points every match - right?

Tiger wins a game - hooray - but wasn't that expected? No real momentum gain then.Morale remains largely unaltered

Tiger loses, and suddenly the morale of the American team is punctured.

It's almost as if the myth of the Tiger can only operate in one direction. Morale only becomes momentum when players who you weren't expecting anything from suddenly start performing. America is nearly always looking in the wrong direction by making the likes of Tiger and Phil the focus of their team. They need to be bigging up numbers nine, ten, jack, and queen. Your strength is in your depth, not the vulnerable superstar

But the superstar is where the TV millions are? No. People (and especially Americans) tend to associate with winning. Viewing figures will be higher for Gleneagles if America wins, and not if Tiger Woods is part of another losing team

[ChrisP]

He can also play in the Czech Masters, Italian Open, and Omega European Masters overseas if he feels like he needs to get in some competitive rounds. I'm sure they would give him sponsors exemptions if he didn't already qualify for those tournaments.

It is highly doubtful he will do that unless Watson makes a request he do that. Plus, I believe you have to make the 3 Captain's picks a couple weeks after the PGA.

[tmac20]

It is highly doubtful he will do that unless Watson makes a request he do that. Plus, I believe you have to make the 3 Captain's picks a couple weeks after the PGA.

But will he want to play in the Ryder Cup after taking almost a year off from competitive golf? I don't think he will, and I don't think Watson or his teammates will either.

[Mulligan Jeff]

Tiger is better off healing properly till next season so as to not re-aggravate a lingering injury. Tiger has minimum 10 good years left which translates to 40 majors, we are talking legacy here!

[newtogolf]

I would expect Tiger to pull himself out of consideration if he comes back in time to be selected.  Maybe he could be a special coach or something to support the team, but I can't see him wanting to hurt the team if he's not ready to play at 100%.

[FarawayFairways]

I was thinking that today NTG

Is Tiger (or his management company) going to want to suffer the indignity of being dropped? which for all intents and purposes the decision will be. Does Tom even want to make a decision that is tantamount to this? It would be better all round if Tiger were able to say at the earliest possible moment that he feels the games up, and that he isn't available selection, wishes everyone the best etc and is available to assist in any non playing capacity. The problem of course is that great players are normally the last to accept defeat (it's part of the trait that makes them great)