EUROPEAN RYDER CUP captain Paul McGinley is hopeful that Tiger Woods will be fit and firing in plenty of time for this year’s competition.
McGinley, who will lead Team Europe at Gleaneagles in September, believes the Ryder Cup would be poorer without the inclusion of the world’s number one golfer. Woods confirmed on Tuesday he would miss the Masters next weekend and need several weeks to recover from surgery on a pinched nerve in his back.
“Tiger’s good for golf, so the sooner he gets back playing, the better,” McGinley told Sky Sports. ”Of course I’d like him to play at Gleneagles, and it will be a better Ryder Cup with him there. Tiger’s one of the world’s greatest players and the Ryder Cup is golf’s greatest event.
“Right now, I can only wish him the best of luck. Having had eight surgeries myself, I understand what he must be going through, though the back obviously is a more complex area than the knee.”
Woods Ryder Cup record is less than stellar. He has lost 17 of the 33 matches he has been involved in. His singles record is four wins, a loss and two halves. He has performed badly when partnered up in fourballs and, strikingly, foursomes. McGinley and Padraig Harrington lost an afternoon foursome against Woods and Jim Furyk at the 2006 event at the K Club.
Woods is currently 16th in the USA’s Ryder Cup standings but should comfortably make Team USA, led by Tom Watson, due to his lofty world ranking.
