Tiger Woods named Ryder Cup vice-captain

• Tiger Woods named vice-captain for 2016 Ryder Cup
• Hasn’t yet given up hope of a playing spot at Hazeltine
• “I’d like to try and make the team, too,” said Woods

Tiger Woods has pledged to ‘do whatever he can’ to help win back the Ryder Cup for the USA after being named as one of Davis Love III’s vice-captains for the match at Hazeltine next year.

The 14-time major winner joins Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker, whose names were also revealed by Love at a press conference before the RSM Classic, as well as Tom Lehman, who was announced as a vice-captain when Love himself was unveiled as captain back in February.

But world No.384 Woods hasn’t given up hopes of a playing berth quite yet, despite a winless stretch which now spans 27 months.

“I will continue to do whatever I can to help win the Ryder Cup back” – Tiger Woods

“I’d like to thank Davis for his confidence in me and for my selection as a Ryder Cup vice-captain,” he said in a statement on his website. “This is something I want to do. I will continue to do whatever I can to help win the Ryder Cup back.

“Once I’m fully healthy, I’d like to try to make the team too, but either way, I’m very excited to work with Davis, the other vice-captains and the players to get a US victory.”

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Woods played under Love’s captaincy at Medinah in 2012, where Europe fought back from 10-6 down to win 14.5-13.5, and the captain is under no illusions that Woods wants to be part of the team next September.

“He wants to play and be a vice captain,” said Love. “That’s his goal, I think, right now. I think he would relish that role. From before we even started this Task Force, Tiger was the one in my ear all the time about here is the things we need to do. He really loves being involved.

“Phil and I talked to him several times during the Vegas week about planning, what had happened over in Korea, how excited he was about playing, the things we needed to do for the future of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.”

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Woods (13-18-2), Stricker (3-7-1) and Furyk (10-20-4) all have poor Ryder Cup records and failed to deliver under Love at Medinah when the partnership of Woods and Stricker returned pointless in three matches – they also both lost their singles – while Furyk collected just the one point when he and Brandt Snedeker beat Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in the Saturday morning foursomes.

But that hasn’t deterred likely US players at Hazeltine to show their support for Love’s choice of vice-captains.

Speaking about Woods, this year’s Open champion Zach Johnson said: “He’s passionate about the Cups, specifically the Ryder Cup. So when you have, in my opinion, the best player that I’ve ever played with as a guy inside your team room, regardless if he’s playing or not, that’s huge.

“I know that he is in our best interest and I know that the information and knowledge he has as a competitor and also as a golfer is going to be invaluable.”

Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson tweeted:

Tiger Woods vice-captain :: Your thoughts

What do you think of Tiger Woods‘ selection as vice-captain for Hazeltine, as well as that of Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.