World No.1 Jordan Spieth believes the appointment of Tiger Woods as a vice-captain will be a huge ‘intimidation’ advantage for the USA Ryder Cup team.
The double Major winning Spieth also expects Woods to qualify automatically for Hazeltine despite the uncertainty of Woods return to normal competition from a second back operation.
“The fact Davis (Love 111) has appointed Tiger as a vice-captains means Tiger is going to bring a huge intimidation factor to the USA team next September,” said Spieth.
“I am also of the opinion that Tiger will be on the team whether he qualifies automatically or as a captain’s pick.
“I was speaking with Tiger recently and while he’s been appointed a vice-captain, he told me he’s going to make that Hazeltine team, so I hope he does.”
Given Spieth has been absent from competition for some three weeks the 22-year old Texan was commenting publically for a first time on the recent Davis Love 111s appointment of an additional USA team vice-captains in Woods, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker following an opening level par round 71 in the defence of his Australian Open title in Sydney.
“It’s a great decision on Davis’s part selecting Tiger and I don’t see any downside to it at all,” said Spieth.
“It maybe is a bit unusual having five vice-captains but given I am not on the committee that was formed, they do have a plan and the plan is to have five vice-captains.
“So I will follow the plan and with an additional vice-captain I do feel this next Ryder Cup could be more laid back atmosphere.”
And Spieth sees no concern to the USA Team, as they seek to win the Ryder Cup for a first time since 2008, should any of the vice-captains qualify automatically for the team.
“While we’re not real sure about Tiger (Woods) and ‘Strick’ (Steve Stricker) you would have to think Jim (Furyk) could still qualify for the team but then I don’t have a problem with that,” said Spieth.
“That wouldn’t hurt the team and I don’t think it would make much of a difference because if any of the vice-captains such as he and Tiger did make the team they would still be strong leaders out on the golf course.
“So being a vice-captain is just a label that if they are not there, they’ll be there.”
Spieth admitted to having a ‘brain fart’ at taking a final hole bogey on day one in Sydney, and twelve months after setting a new course record 63 to win the event.
He said: “It was a real guessing game club selection wise in the very windy conditions but then at my last I just left my second well short.
“I mean you give me a hundred shots, 95% of the time, I’ll make them."
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