BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - From the time he took the job as U.S. Ryder Cup captain nearly two years ago, Hal Sutton has made it clear he wants Tiger Woods to live up to his reputation in the biennial team competition against Europe that begins Friday.
Woods' record is a rather disappointing 5-8-2. He has had difficulty jelling with a partner and lost a singles match to unheralded Costantino Rocca of Italy in 1997.
"Nobody needs to give Tiger Woods a pep talk," Sutton said Tuesday at Oakland Hills Country Club, where the Ryder Cup begins. "He holds himself to the highest standard. All we have to do is say, "Hey, Tiger, it's time you felt this is important. I want you to realize that this is going to be an area that guys are going to judge you by down the road, whether you like it or dislike it. This is going to be another barometer of success for you. Let's give it all you've got and lead this team.' "
If there is a perception Woods has not been into the Ryder Cup, he disagrees.
"I go out there with the same attitude and that's just to win, period," Woods said. "I don't go into any tournament thinking that it would be great to lose. I think it would be asinine to think that way. You guys know how competitive I am. I go out there with the intent to win points for the U.S. team."
ENOUGH ALREADY: When a British writer brought up the subject of the American celebration on the 17th green at the 1999 Ryder Cup, Sutton made it clear he is tired of the topic.
After Justin Leonard holed a clinching 45-foot birdie putt , U.S. team members, wives and officials spilled onto the green in celebration, before Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal had a chance to try his tying putt.
The breach of etiquette was a huge topic, and though the Americans apologized, it remains a sore subject on the other side of the Atlantic.
"Look, y'all have been kind of like a bad marriage partner," said Sutton (who, by the way, has been married four times). "We've apologized for five years for what happened in 1999. So y'all need to forget about that. The American players, if we had it to do over again, would not have run out on the green."
STILL TOGETHER: Two weeks ago, a Boston Herald gossip columnist wrote that Woods and his fiancee, Elin Nordegren, had broken up and had been heard having a loud argument. Nobody was quoted on the record, and Woods denied it Tuesday.
"It's 100 percent false," he said. "It's amazing how the media can quote false things like that and not be held accountable, which I think is just incredible. Nothing's happened to us. We're still very happy. We've had no arguments. It's just unbelievable how the media can do that and get away with it."
AROUND OAKLAND HILLS: The European team arrived Monday night from London in style: on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600, the longest plane in the world. It was made available specifically for the Ryder Cup team and included guests and Ryder Cup officials, who had plenty of room to spread out. The plane has 45 upper class suites, 28 premium economy seats and 233 economy seats. ... At a meeting Monday night, the U.S. team was addressed by Michael Jordan.
