Tiger Woods believes the PGA of America Ryder Cup ‘task force’ is a one and only attempt at getting the USA captaincy selection process correct.
On his return to competition Woods drew a capacity press room with some 20 TVs cameras and also a dozen India-born journalists flown to the States to cover this week’s 18-man Hero World Challenge at the exclusive Isleworth Estate in Orlando.
Woods has also signed a four-year deal to be an ambassador for Hero and in a deal reputed to be worth $US 8m a year to the former long-time World No. 1.
And as part of the deal Woods found himself photographed aside two Hero motor-bikes and with the company chairman, who has previously played alongside the 14-time Major winner, revealing Hero sold 6.3m motor cycles in the 2013/14 financial year.
“I’ve never ridden a motor cycle and even with Hero’s valuable sponsorship this year and for the next three years, there’s no way I’m about to start,” he said.
Woods’ lay-off through injury meant missing the Ryder Cup and also the despair of Paul McGinley’s men handing out a five-point thrashing of the USA Team.
Tiger Woods declares the PGA of American task force has one shot at getting the future captaincy of the USA Team correct. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
In the wash-up of Phil Mickelson’s controversial Sunday night remarks at Gleneagles, Woods was invited to join an 11-man task force to decide on a replacement for the hapless Tom Watson.
And if Woods has his way it will a one off task force.
“I wasn’t part of the latest US team so I only know a few things that happened in the team room, and that was only from getting comments from some of the players and caddies,” said Woods.
“So I wasn’t there to fully experience it as I was unfortunate at home so I was only getting news secondary but then I know a lot of guys weren’t happy with what went on.
“And did I ever think we would end up in this situation in needing a task force, no!
“Our job now going forward is that we only have this task force once so that we use this task force to create a matrix, and create a process where we can go forward, and that everyone is happy the selection process not only among the players but also the captain.
“We need to get everything aligned going forward and that this task force will not only serve the next US Team but all future US Ryder Cup teams.
“But then we need only to do this once and if we do our job correctly this task force will only need to sit once.”
The tournament host, who says he’s lost five pounds, has not competed since missing the cut in last August’s PGA Championship in Kentucky with a pair of 74s.
It was only the eighth event Woods had played all season and having to withdraw from two during to his nagging back injury.
And while Woods has also turned to a new coach, Chris Como, in his lay-off he revealed the biggest concern over the four months was finding a VHS video machine to view tapes of his swing around the time of his amateur days and around the time in turning pro in late 1996.
“I spent the time looking back on my golf swing way back to my amateur days and all the way up until I was working with Sean (Foley) and everything in between,” he said.
“Having a couple of months off allowed me to do that but was very interesting was trying to find a VHS recorder (smiling).
“I have a lot of VHS tapes in my library but fortunately my mum is of the age where she still has that equipment so that was very beneficial looking at the old tapes (laughing).
“But in turning now to Chris, and on the recommendation of Sean, is going to be beneficial because his view of my golf swing is where it should be is aligned to where I also believe it should be.
“Straight away that was good synergy.”
