Fellow American Jimmy Walker managed to catch-up with 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods last night at a USA Ryder Cup team get together hosted here in Palm Beach Gardens by Jack Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara.

Woods is one of five Hazeltine vice-captains and, along with captain Davis Love 111 and fellow vice-captains Tom Lehman and Jim Furyk, joined some 20 odd USA Team possible and probable’s at Nicklaus’ Palm Beach Gardens residence.

Walker was a member of the losing 2014 Gleneagles team and revealed he managed to catch-up, albeit for a few seconds, with Woods who also was appearing for a first time in the company of his fellow PGA Tour colleagues since last December when he hosted the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

And after reckless tweets earlier in the week suggesting Woods could not sit upright in his motor vehicle details of Walker’s chat with Woods comes as a refreshing change.

Jimmy Walker greets Tiger Woods: “Woh! You’re not dead”. Photo – gettyimages

“I only talked to Tiger for just a couple of seconds and said to him ‘Woh! You’re standing up and you’re not dead!’,” said Walker.

“Tiger responded: ‘That’s how everybody thinks I am now, dead!’

But when asked if he managed to source when Woods may likely return to competition Walker added:  “Well, we didn’t talk about that.  It was just great to see him there in the room with everyone.”

And Billy Horschel, who also attended the dinner, remarked:  “Tiger looked great. Looked in great shape. I saw him in the Bahamas at the Hero World Challenge and he was in rough shape, and he said that.

“Last night he looked really good. Mentally, he’s in the same spot he was in December in the sense he’s at peace with everything. But physically he’s in a lot better shape and that’s what he told me.

“He said he’s excited to be progressing and hopefully he’ll get back out here and kick our ass.”