Buzzin Golf

After having a knee operation that has ruled him out of playing in September’s Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods has rejected an invite from US Ryder Cup skipper Paul Azinger to act as vice-captain for the US team.

Following his dramatic US Open win, Tiger Woods revealed that he wouldn’t be able to compete for the rest of 2008 and it now seems that he is unwilling to take on a non-playing role during the tournament.

Tiger Woods has provided his reasons for turning down the invite by saying that ‘the guys will have plenty on their minds’ as it is – without him shouting instructions from the sidelines.

Personally, I can see why Tiger Woods has opted out of this role. He won’t want to seem superior to any of the other players and probably won’t suit a position of authority. Can you really imagine Tiger Woods giving instructions to Phil Mickleson? I think having Tiger Woods in this role would provide less benefits than it would potential complications.

So why did Paul Azinger feel it was appropriate to approach Tiger Woods? Well, first of all, he knows the respect the world number one has. He would be thinking that if the US team can’t have him as a player, they may as well have him as part of the team anyway.

Despite a lot of people believing that Tiger Woods has made the right decision by turning down this offer, there are those that believe it highlights how the Ryder Cup isn’t his number on priority. The 32-year-old has often been criticised for ‘not caring’ about the Ryder Cup.

His record would, I guess, back this up. In total, Tiger Woods has won 10, lost 13 and halved two of his 25 Ryder Cup matches. Not exactly a fantastic record for someone who has won 14 major championships.

Realistically though, winning Majors is the number one goal for any professional golfer. I’d put all my golf betting money on the fact that Tiger wouldn’t swap winning the US Open for a few extra points in the Ryder Cup. That doesn’t mean he is selfish – it’s just the way it is. Would Colin Montgomerie – who has a fantastic record in the Ryder Cup – swap this for his first ever major championship? I think he would.

Although he has turned down the chance to be in Kentucky to help his US team mates, Tiger Woods has said that he will be watching from home ‘cheering loudly’ as the USA look to defeat the Europeans for the first time since 1999.