World No.1 Jordan Speith believes the appointment of Tiger Woods as a vice-captain will be a huge ‘intimidation’ advantage for the USA Ryder Cup team.
The double Major winning Speith also expects Woods to qualify automatically for Hazeltine despite the uncertainty of Woods return to normal competition from a second back operation.
World No. 1 Jordan Speith predicts Tiger Woods will bring a huge intimidation factor to the 2016 USA Ryder Cup side. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“The fact Davis (Love 111) has appointed Tiger as a vice-captains means Tiger is going to bring a huge intimidation factor to the USA team next September,” said Speith.
“I am also of the opinion that Tiger will be on the team whether he qualifies automatically or as a captain’s pick.
“I was speaking with Tiger recently and while he’s been appointed a vice-captain, he told me he’s going to make that Hazeltine team, so I hope he does.”
Given Speith has been absent from competition for some three weeks the 22-year old Texan was commenting publicly for a first time on the recent Davis Love 111’s appointment of an additional three USA team vice-captains in Woods, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker ahead of teeing-up in the second round in the defence of his Australian Open title in Sydney.
“It’s a great decision on Davis’s part selecting Tiger and I don’t see any downside to it at all,” said Speith.
“It maybe is a bit unusual having five vice-captains but given I am not on the committee that was formed, they do have a plan and the plan is to have five vice-captains.
“So I will follow the plan and with an additional vice-captain I do feel this next Ryder Cup could be more laid back atmosphere.”
And Speith sees no concern to the USA Team, as they seek to win the Ryder Cup for a first time since 2008, should any of the vice-captains qualify automatically for the team.
“While we’re not real sure about Tiger (Woods) and ‘Strick’ (Steve Stricker) you would have to think Jim (Furyk) could still qualify for the team but then I don’t have a problem with that,” said Speith.
“That wouldn’t hurt the team and I don’t think it would make much of a difference because if any of the vice-captains such as he and Tiger did make the team they would still be strong leaders out on the golf course.
“So being a vice-captain is just a label that if they are not there, they’ll be there.”
