Golf

Tiger set to accept his role as leader

Many question his Ryder Cup efforts, but he insists he has - and will - perform with passion.

By BOB HARIG
Published September 18, 2006

It is almost too simple to say Tiger Woods hates to lose. Everybody does. But Woods, more than any player in golf, never mails in a performance, never dogs it. Aside from his remarkable record, that might be one of his best qualities.

So it's curious that many do not think he has given his best effort at the Ryder Cup, that he is so singular in his pursuit of greatness that he cannot be a good team player, that he doesn't care much about the event.

Perhaps it was Woods himself who gave the naysayers fodder. It was at the Ryder Cup four years ago in England where he was asked about his rather ordinary record.

"Do you know Jack Nicklaus' Ryder Cup record?" was his quick retort.

Most cannot rattle it off the top of their heads, and Woods' point was made.

Anybody who follows the game knows about the ultimate record, Nicklaus' 18 major championships. But they have to go scurrying to the record books to see that the Golden Bear was 17-8-3 in six Ryder Cup appearances.

Maybe the impression was formed there, even if it was a poor comparison. Nicklaus never played on a losing team and only once faced the entire continent of Europe, in his Ryder Cup in 1981. The United States used to routinely clean up, and many thought it wasn't much of a competition.

Now, of course, things are much different.

The United States enters the 36th Ryder Cup this week at the K Club in Ireland having lost the past two and four of the past five - the only victory in 1999 during a remarkable final-day comeback. Many think the Americans are underdogs, despite having the top three players in the world in Woods, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson.

Such is the nature of match play in general and the Ryder Cup in particular that individual success often does not translate.

Americans have always looked to Woods to be the force in the Ryder Cup that he is everywhere else. His record in this competition is just 7-11-2, which hardly squares with 12 major championships and 53 PGA Tour victories.

"I put my heart into it each and every time," Woods said. "I go out there and play with all my passion. It's just unfortunate sometimes I do not win. ... I've played some of my best golf and haven't gotten all the points that I felt I could have. There's times I played like a dog as well. I don't know. I try so hard. And sometimes you just don't win."

Woods does at least appear to be putting more effort into these matches.

He made himself available for advice to captain Tom Lehman, took the four rookie members of the team - J.J. Henry, Zach Johnson, Vaughn Taylor and Brett Wetterich - to dinner in Akron, Ohio, during the Bridgestone Invitational and altered his schedule to make a two-day trip to Ireland a few weeks ago for practice sessions at the K Club.

It appears Woods, 30, is warming to a leadership role he seemed reluctant to embrace during his previous four Ryder Cups.

"I think I've earned my right," he said. "When I first played on these teams, I hadn't. I was still wet behind the ears and hadn't earned my stripes. Davis (Love), Freddie (Couples), Jay Haas and Payne (Stewart), those guys were the leaders. They had been out here for 15 or 20 years."

Woods is expected to be paired with Furyk in several of the team matches. The last time 1-2 were matched didn't go over too well. Captain Hal Sutton paired Woods with Mickelson on opening day two years ago in Detroit, and the American's ended up with their defeat 18¹/₂ to 9¹/₂.

Finding a partner for Woods has been difficult, but Furyk may be the answer. They were 2-0-1 at last year's Presidents Cup.

"We have obviously different styles of games, and he has a lot more power than I do, but we tend to think our way around the golf course similarly, and we read putts very much alike," said Furyk, 36. "And our attitudes are very much alike. I enjoy the banter and the talk. He's a friend, actually very witty and very funny. But there's not many people who get the opportunity to get close to him."

The United States could use a strong showing from its top players, mainly Woods, Furyk and Mickelson. They have played in every Ryder Cup since 1997, although Mickelson is the only one with a winning record (9-8-3). He was 3-0 in his first appearance in 1995. Furyk is 4-9-2 and has just one victory in 11 team matches.

No wonder the United States has struggled: Its most talented players have produced few points.

When Europe became a force 20 years ago in the Ryder Cup, it did so despite poor depth. The Europeans rode players such as Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Jose Maria Olazabal to victories in 1985, 1987 and a tie in 1989. It is only in recent events that the Europeans have had a more solid team from top to bottom.

"In my day, as a captain I really leaned very heavily on the stars, on the major winners," said Tony Jacklin, who was captain of Europe from 1983 through 1989 and now lives in Bradenton. "Whether it be Seve, Olazabal, Faldo, Woosnam, Lyle. ... None of them got very much rest. I played them and leaned on them hard the first two days."

The Americans are where the Europeans used to be, with four rookies ranked outside of the top 35 in the world. That is why the play of the top guns is so important. There is little question that Lehman will lean heavily on Woods, Mickelson and Furyk, as well as Chris DiMarco, David Toms and Chad Campbell. Those are the guys who must produce.

And then it all comes back to Woods. For all his individual success - including three straight U.S. juniors, three straight U.S. Amateurs and two Match Play Championship victories on the PGA Tour, all contested at match play - Woods has been very ordinary on teams. He has played in one Walker Cup, four Presidents Cups and four Ryder Cups, with a 20-21-3 overall record.

But when Lehman announced his captain's picks last month, he said he would "go crazy" if he heard anyone question Woods' desire.

While many are still wondering, Lehman has yet to lose it.

Perhaps that is because he knows something.

"More than anybody I know, Tiger wants to win," Lehman said. "He is definitely engaged in the process. I have his private cell phone number, and he says, 'Call me any time,' and I do. He's taken a great leadership role, especially with some of our younger guys."

But will that translate into victory this week?

36TH RYDER CUP

WHEN: Friday through Sunday

WHERE: K Club (Palmer Course, 7,335 yards, par 35-37-72), Straffan, Ireland

TV: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, USA; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Ch. 8

Defending champion: Europe

Series: United States leads 24-9-2.

Streaking: Europe has won four of the past five times.

HOW THE AMERICAN BIG THREE STACK UP IN THE RYDER CUP (W-L-H stands for wins-losses-halves.)

No. Matches Rec. W-L-H Singles W-L-H Foursome W-L-H Fourballs W-L-H Total Points Percentage

Jim Furyk (1997-99-2002-04) 4 15 4-9-2 3-0-1 1-4-0 0-5-1 5.0 .33

Phil Mickelson (1995-97-99-2002-04) 5 20 9-8-3 3-2-0 2-2-2 4-4-1 10.5 .51

Tiger Woods (1997-99-2002-04) 4 20 7-11-2 3-1-1 2-5-1 3-5-0 8.0 .40

[Last modified September 18, 2006, 02:29:00]