USA Captain, Davis Love 111 not only has the worry later next month of striving to end Europe’s Ryder Cup dominance but he’s concerned Tiger Woods could be a major Hazeltine distraction.
The seven-time Ryder Cup-capped Woods is one of five USA vice-captains appointed by Love 111.
But then Love 111 believes he will need to advise Woods, who has not competed on the PGA Tour since the Wyndham Championship a year ago, to be wary of his movements about the Ryder Cup host venue.
“Tiger’s already very involved and he’s got a plan for what he wants to do when he eventually becomes a captain,” said Love 111.
“He’s already a great tactician and he’s planning out his game plan for the week but then there’s a lot of issue with him if he goes to check the pins as the whole gallery is going to be watching him and not the match.
USA Ryder Cup captain Davis Love 111 said Tiger Woods could be a major distraction at the Ryder Cup.
“So we are going to have to plan for when and where Tiger is going to arrive at Hazeltine and where’s he’s going to walk.
“We’ve never had a Tiger Woods walk around the Ryder Cup and not playing, so it will be interesting.
“And in recent weeks I’ve been relying more on Tiger and Tom (Lehman) than other vice-captains like Jim (Furyk) and Steve (Stricker).
“So Tiger’s been very accessible and always willing to help and he stays up late so he gives me a lot of late night texts.”
Love 111 was speaking on day one of the 2016 Wyndham Championship, an event he won last year for a third time in his career and like the recent PGA Championship has been forced to sit out as he continues to recover from a hip operation.
And with the biennial showdown some 40 days away Love 111 insisted he is not about to have the Hazeltine course set-up any differently than agreed upon with rival captain, Darren Clarke.
“I’ve talked to the PGA Head Greenkeeper quite a bit and we kind agreed and the Captains’ agreement and unofficial Captains’ agreement that Darren and I had, there’s not going to be any tricky business,” said Love 111.
“Paul Azinger’s theory is have what we had at Medinah (2012) as it worked. We made a ton of birdies, they made a ton of birdies, too. It might not be — in the end if you’re looking at it, it’s just a golf tournament, it’s the same for everybody. Set it up hard or easy you still have to hit great wedge shots and make some putts.
“Darren says they’ve had the run of the greens, we haven’t. Somehow we got to get the run of the greens and hole some putts but I don’t think chipping out of deep rough is what Ryder Cup fans want to see.
“When I go to the baseball game I want to see home runs. I don’t want a fence to be 480 yards and nobody hits it out. I think we want to see some good golf and some birdies and get the fans into it.”
