Steve Stricker In Talks With Tiger Woods About Ryder Cup Role

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By Dan Parker 2021-05-19T16:00:37Z

Speaking ahead of the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island this week, US captain Steve Stricker said Tiger is in his Ryder Cup plans.

Steve Stricker In Talks With Tiger Woods About Ryder Cup Role

US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker says he doesn't know if he can commit on having Tiger Woods as his Vice Captain for this year's Ryder Cup but did reveal the two have been discussing it.

Speaking ahead of this week's PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, the 54-year-old American was coy about the discussions he and Tiger have been having over Zoom in recent weeks.

When asked whether he'd reached out to Tiger about a potential role on the team, Stricker said, "I've talked to him. I don't know if we are there yet to commit to him being there. He's still got a lot going on and his spirits of great, though, as of late and we were on a Zoom call with him just this last week and he seems like he's in a better place. Like I said, though, he's still got some ways to go."

Playing Captain Tiger Woods and Assistant Captain Steve Stricker of the United States team celebrate after they won the Presidents Cup in 2019.

Tiger's recovery from his car crash in February seems to be going well and there have been dribs and drabs of information coming through regarding his recovery, with Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas saying they have visited Woods at his home.

Stricker said - all health aside - that he would definitely want Woods as part of the team in some capacity.

"I'd love to have him there. Who wouldn't, right? The guys really respect him and he did a great job obviously as a captain but he was an assistant captain of mine in 2017 of the Presidents Cup and he was unbelievable. He would do anything for you and he's totally, totally vested in the situation and the process and almost to the point of he's on it early and so much, it's like, dude, we've still got months to go yet."

Stricker and Woods are good friends on and off the course and were a prolific Ryder Cup pairing at the peak of their careers.

Stricker wouldn't reveal to reporters exactly what the topic of conversation between himself and Tiger was but it certainly sounds as though discussions are underway to try and get him there in some capacity, depending on his health.

The 2020 Ryder Cup will be taking place one year late after the Coronavirus pandemic delayed the event last year.

The tournament will be held from September 24th to September 26th at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Stricker's home state of Wisconsin.