'He's Progressing And Doing Well' - Stricker Provides Woods Update

The US captain confirmed that Tiger won't be a vice captain but said his recovery is progressing well

Woods and Stricker pictured at the Presidents Cup
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The US captain confirmed that Tiger won't be a vice captain but said his recovery is progressing well

Steve Stricker's US Ryder Cup team is finalised and one player who won't be at Wisconsin is Tiger Woods.

Woods was involved in a serious car accident in February and is still not fit enough to act as a vice captain for his former Ryder Cup partner at Whistling Straits.

Stricker provided an update on Tiger's health whilst speaking to Sirius XM radio after announcing his wildcard picks, where he said that the 15-time Major winner's recovery is progressing well.

"I've talked to Tiger a lot," Stricker said.

"He's a part of this Ryder Cup family; he won't be able to be a captain's assistant this time around just because of his ongoing rehabilitation to try to get better and try to play golf again, and that is going well.

"He's progressing, he's doing well, things are moving in the right direction."

Woods was last seen in public back in June, where he was filmed walking on crutches and putting weight on his injured right leg.

As part of his surgery after the accident, he had a rod placed in his leg and screws and pins in his ankle.

Related: 'Woods rehab to take 1-2 years' - Foot and ankle surgeon

Stricker will miss Woods at this year's Ryder Cup, as the pair have played together in the match on six occasions across the 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cups.

Only Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth (seven) have played more times as a pair in the Ryder Cup than Woods and Stricker.

Whilst they've partnered each other six times, they have only won two games and lost four.

Tiger has played in eight Ryder Cups in total, in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2018.

He was also a vice captain to Davis Love III at Hazeltine in 2016, where the USA won 17-11.

Related: 7 Big names missing from the US Ryder Cup team

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV