Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Wednesday 26 september 2018
Happy times for Tiger Woods heading to a Ryder Cup

By DOUG FERGUSON One year ago, he was rid- joined Woods, DeCham-
AP Golf Writer ing in a cart as a vice cap- beau and Patrick Reed.
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVE- tain in the Presidents Cup, Mickelson then caused a
LINES, France (AP) — Tiger having played one PGA small stir by saying he and
Woods paused on his walk Tour event in two years with Woods would welcome
toward the 18th green at no certainty there would another chance to play to-
Le Golf National and threw be another. And then he gether, even though their
his head back in laughter. made yesterday look like 2004 partnership at Oak-
These are happy times for yesteryear with a wire-to- land Hills resulted in two
Woods, regardless of what- wire win at the Tour Cham- losses and plenty of ridicule
ever Bryson DeChambeau pionship, his first trophy in in the years that followed.
said to cause such a reac- more than five years and Will it happen?
tion Tuesday. the feeling that more was "I do have an idea of what
Now if he can get that to to come. Captain Furyk is thinking,
translate in the Ryder Cup. Woods still hasn't grasped yeah," Mickelson said with
For all his amazing feats the significance of the vic- a grin, allowing for no other
in golf — 80 victories on tory at East Lake. He didn't detail.
the PGA Tour, the most re- know the TV ratings be- The best personal mark
cent on Sunday at the Tour cause he headed straight Woods ever had at the Ry-
Championship after return- to France on the charter der Cup was the only other
ing following a fourth back flight, had a team dinner time he was a captain's
surgery that threatened to and then was out in the pick, going 3-1 in Wales. He
end his career — Woods chill of Tuesday morning for failed to win a match in his
has been on only one win- his first look at Le Golf Na- most recent Ryder Cup, go-
ning team at the Ryder tional. ing 0-3-1 at Medinah when
Cup. That was nearly 20 "Are they good?" Woods Europe rallied to win on the
years ago and required a asked to plenty of laughter. last day. Woods, however, Tiger Woods of the U.S. plays from a bunker on the 3rd hole dur-
record comeback on the "Sorry, I've been a little bit is more than six years re- ing a practice session at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, outside
final day. His own record is busy, so I haven't looked." moved from the Ryder Cup. Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018.
13-17-3, a product of being NBC Sports Group said the He has gone through four Associated Press
on six losing teams. final round was the highest- surgeries that kept him out
"Looking back on my entire rated Tour Championship of 10 majors and two Ryder tine two years ago during a they were kids. Now he is
Ryder Cup career, that's on record dating to 1991. Cups, though he comes rare American victory. back to being their peer,
not something that I have U.S. captain Jim Furyk has to France with a winning The next generation of feeling as much a part of
really enjoyed and I've re- tried to tone down the feeling — not just the Tour Americans looked up to the team as ever, no mat-
ally liked seeing," Woods hype, though it was hard to Championship, but his role him as the legendary figure ter whose picture is on the
said. "I've played a lot of ignore that it was a "boost as a vice captain at Hazel- who inspired them when cover of magazines.q
matches. Of those seven for everyone, and I think for
previous Ryder Cups, I've Tiger in general, it's cool."
sat out one session. ... My "The arms up in the air on
overall Ryder Cup record, 18, it looks like that's going
not having won as a play- to be a cover on maybe
er since 1999, is something about 100 magazines this
that hopefully we can week," Furyk said. "You
change. We haven't won could tell it was significant
as a U.S. squad here in 25 for him. I also know how
years on foreign soil. So important this event is to
hopefully, that will change all 12 guys and to Tiger, as
this week, as well." well. ... Being a guy with his
Woods used to get defen- status and that number of
sive about his mark, point- wins, he can flip the page
ing out that no one could and turn his attention to
recite the Ryder Cup re- this week. So he's out there
cord of Jack Nicklaus (17-8- grinding and trying to help
3 during an era of U.S. dom- this team as much as he
inance), but that everyone can."
knew Nicklaus had won 18 Woods and DeChambeau,
majors. one of three Ryder Cup
One element he faced ev- rookies on the U.S. team,
ery two years was trying to have been looked upon
be on a team of 12 players as a potential partnership
even as the golfing world for Le Golf National. Furyk
saw it as Tiger Woods and said not to read anything
11 other Americans. He into the way he sent off his
was 21 when he played his players in groups of four
first Ryder Cup in 1997 and for the first official practice
already was the sport's big- round. He said Tuesday was
gest star. more about learning the
Back in the Ryder Cup as a golf course because only
player for the first time in six six U.S. players have seen it.
years, Woods is in the spot- Phil Mickelson, who also has
light again. a losing record (18-20-7),