Davis Love III, the US Ryder Cup captain, has still not giving up hope of having Tiger Woods on his team – even though the former world No 1 has yet to make his competitive comeback.

Woods, who was named as one of Love’s vice-captains last year, has fuelled speculation of a return to action following back surgery by registering for June’s US Open and playing five holes in front of an invited group of guests earlier this week.

The 40-year-old, whose last tournament was the Wyndham Championship in August, languishes down in 499th place on the world rankings but it seems Love has got caught up in the clamour surrounding a miraculous return.

"[Tiger] keeps telling me I am going to be the first playing assistant captain,” he said. “He wants to be on the team playing, not driving a golf cart, so I expect if he gets healthy he's going to make a good run for it. I wouldn't bet against Tiger Woods in anything.

"If he can get out and play 10 or 15 tournaments - which will be a lot after what he has been through - I think he can make the team, and we would love to have him.”

On the European Tour, meanwhile, Richie Ramsay was sharing 10th place after the first round of the Volvo China Open. The Aberdonian posted a four-under 68 to sit five behind early leader, Hennie Otto, who surged to the front with a 63.

Starting on the 10th, Ramsay stumbled to a double-bogey on the 13th but repaired the damage with a run of four birdies in five holes from the 14th as he got back on track.

Glasgow’s Andrew McArthur highlighted his three-under 69 with an eagle-2 on the 11th and was joined on that mark by Stephen Gallacher.

As expected, there will be no Scots in the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team for June’s match with the US at Dun Laoghaire.

The eight-strong team, which features five English and three Irish players and will be captained by Deeside’s Elaine Farquharson-Black, is headlined by County Cavan’s world amateur No1, Leona Maguire, who will be making her third Curtis Cup appearance. Other players with past experience in the biennial battle include Bronte Law and Charlotte Davis.

On the men’s amateur front, the first major of the season gets underway today in the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson, both members of the GB&I Walker Cup-winning team at Lytham last September, return to the scene of that triumph while a strong Scottish contingent also features Connor Syme and Craig Ross, the winners of the Australian and South African Amateur crowns earlier this season.