Tiger Woods’ position within the Ryder Cup this week? Zach Johnson explains

A 12 months in the past, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson was sure that Tiger Woods can be an integral a part of the 2023 workforce, saying he and Woods have been “in fixed communication.”

However on the captain’s press convention on Monday in Rome alongside his European counterpart Luke Donald, Johnson stated that Woods’ affect will maybe be a bit much less sturdy than initially anticipated.

“No, Tiger is not going to be becoming a member of us in Italy,” Johnson stated. “He’s received so much on his plate.”

Whereas Woods’ bodily presence shall be missed at Marco Simone, Johnson stated he expects Woods to be an necessary supply of help from afar — even when it’s on the periphery.

“So far as conferring with him, speaking with him, I imply, we’ve got up thus far, and he’s certainly one of — he understands that now that our toes are on the bottom, it’s most likely form of greatest that we navigate this ourselves,” Johnson stated. “However he’s at all times on inside nook, and at this level it’s extra encouragement on his facet, whether or not he’s texting the blokes or texting the vice captains and captains, he’s there to encourage as a result of he’s very invested in what we do year-in and year-out with Workforce USA, and that has by no means ceased and I’m grateful for that.

“I imply, he’s one of the best participant of our era. Fortunately, he’s an American. We’re going to make the most of his information and his knowledge and his candor and his ardour one of the best we will. In relation to the week of the match, when you’re not in on it and contained in the workforce room, contained in the ropes, shoulder-to-shoulder with these guys, it’s not truthful to ask him questions. It’s most likely — he can provide us insights, don’t get me flawed. On the similar time, I don’t know if that’s correct, and I believe he would perceive utterly.”

It’s arduous to overstate Woods’ affect on the Ryder Cup over the past 20 years. He’s performed on eight Ryder Cup groups and served as a taking part in vice captain to Jim Furyk in 2018. Then, in February forward of the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Woods broke bones in his proper leg and ankle in a automotive accident. Nonetheless, he despatched a motivational message to the Individuals forward of their record-setting 19-9 win.

Woods hasn’t performed competitively since he withdrew from the 2023 Masters after two rounds, citing re-aggravated plantar fasciitis. Within the days instantly following his withdrawal, Woods underwent a subtalar fusion process to handle post-traumatic arthritis from the talus fracture he sustained in his 2021 automotive accident.

The 2023 Ryder Cup begins on Friday.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She will be able to out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily chargeable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular initiatives, comparable to GOLF’s inaugural Fashion Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview sequence, “A Spherical With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video type on GOLF.com.