It’s been a different Tiger Woods we have glimpsed at the Ryder Cup over these last few days. Standing there with an ear piece dangling from his lug, he looked a bit like one of those blokes who would put their hand up in front of your face and say ‘sorry sir, you’ve not got the relevant credentials.’
There was a time when every roar, every pump of the fist was made for himself. Here at Hazeltine over the weekend Woods has been roaring and pumping to celebrate someone else’s success.
It seems Woods’s regard for the Ryder Cup has deepened, his sense of unity with a team has strengthened. Who would have thought it? When he was unveiled as a US vice-captain last November, the eye-brow raising shock was almost on a par with the seismic shudderings he provoked after he had clattered into that now infamous fire hydrant.
Read more: No Houdini act at Hazeltine as USA win the Ryder Cup
This most individual of individuals, who took the phrase ‘there is no ‘I’ in team’ and, well, added an ‘I’ into it, has clearly relished this subservient role. The greats like Hogan, Nicklaus or Palmer never performed such a task but this other golfing great has embraced it with considerable gusto. “Tiger, can you take those turkey sandwiches out to the 10th?,”is certainly not something you would have envisaged him doing in his major-winning pomp.
But those are the kind of myriad duties that are part and parcel of being a vice-captain. From informant, to confidant, to cheerleader, to deliverer of packed lunches during practice; Woods was doing just about everything apart from hitting shots. He’s not done that for a while, of course. Well, not in public anyway.
The former world No 1, who is continuing his rehabilitation from back surgery, has tentatively pencilled in a comeback at the PGA Tour’s Safeway Open in California next week, his first tournament since a year past August. He’ll be back in the spotlight. Over the weekend, he has been more in the margins as a titanic tussle unfolded before his eyes.
Read more: No Houdini act at Hazeltine as USA win the Ryder Cup
From the frontline to the backroom, Woods has found a new influential, inspiring function that doesn’t involve him smacking any golf balls.
At the age of 40, he probably realises that his days of majesty on the course are behind him. His legacy can benefit others, though, as the US try to put in place a system that will serve them well for years to come in the Ryder Cup. Like the Europeans have been doing for seasons, the US seem to have cottoned on to something resembling a blueprint and are now putting in place a line of succession. Tiger will be captain one day.
Part of his responsibility over the course of the week was to look after the ‘pod’ which included rampaging Patrick Reed, a Ryder Cup livewire with the kind of ferocious competitive instinct that would make Woods nod his head in acknowledgement.
Reed, who was clearly born to play in this boisterous, no holds barred golfing skirmish, has benefited greatly.
“When I got here, I didn’t know what to expect of Tiger,” said Reed. “I’ve talked to him a little bit but I haven’t spent a lot of time with him. But he’s all-in. He’ll answer any question, whether it’s about something on the golf course or off the golf course. He’s there to genuinely help you and that speaks volumes for what kind of person he is.”
Woods was more than happy to go that extra thousand odd yards for Reed. “On the first day we played as a whole group but it was so windy and they only wanted to play nine holes,” recalled Reed. “I wanted to see the back nine, though, and Tiger said ‘ok, let’s go’. And he walked it with me, figuring out the course. You don’t get that very often. And to have someone do that, especially Tiger Woods, meant a lot to me.”
His new Ryder Cup role clearly meant a lot to Tiger too.
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