Woods update Ryder Cup drug probe doctor new balls please

All the latest and most up-to-date new about world No.1 Tiger Woods

Pavin: Woods will make team on merit

American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin isn’t concerned about making the decision to hand Tiger Woods a wildcard for the event in October – because he believes the world No.1 will make the team on merit.
The American says Woods currently lies seventh in the points standings at present, with eight players guaranteed a place in the team for Celtic Manor.
“I’m not concerned about whether he’ll make the team on points – it’ll be fantastic, I want him on the team,” Pavin told the BBC.
“He’s the No.1 player in the world. There’s something wrong with you if you don’t want him on the team.
“I want hi to be playing well. He’s finished in the top five in the last two major championships and he’s put himself on the team right now – as it stands he’s seventh on the list.”
Woods made his return to competitive golf in April, following five months out as a result of revelations surrounding his extra-marital affairs.
Since his return, the 34-year-old has secured two fourth place finishes in majors, missed the cut at Quail Hollow, pulled out of the Players Championship at Sawgrass and finished a long way down the leaderboard in other events – a far cry from the player who won seven times in 2009.
Woods questioned over former doctor
Tiger Woods has been interviewed by police concerning his relationship with his former doctor who has been charged with injecting athletes with growth hormones.
The world No.1, who was treated by Doctor Anthony Galea for a knee injury sustained in 2008, has openly denied using any form of performance enhancing drugs.
The 34-year-old was interviewed by the federal authorities in Florida last week after the Canadian physician was charged with unlawful distribution of human growth hormones to three unidentified National Football League (NFL) players.
“I co-operated and answered all their questions and that was it,” Woods told reporters following the first round at the AT&T National last week.
His agent, Mark Steinberg, also told newspapers in America that the 14-time major winner was not under investigation.
“It was confirmed that because he did nothing illegal, he is not the subject of any criminal investigation,” he said.
New balls please! Woods swaps Nike balls
Tiger Woods believes a new Nike golf ball with a slightly harder cover and less spin has helped him hit the ball further than he was earlier in the year.
“The more I keep playing, the better I get,” he said. “It was a little bit to do with the ball.”
Woods uses a One Tour, a ball featuring a star symbol between the two words, and began using it at the AT&T National last week, as part of his preparations for the Open Championship at St Andrews.
It is thought the new version of the ball will help in windy conditions because it has less spin.
Through two rounds at Aronimink this week, the world No.1 was leading the event in driving distance at just over 328 yards.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor