Round 1: Travelers Championship
June 24 2010
12:52 pm
Pavin: ‘I want [Tiger] to be on the team’
One of the reasons Corey Pavin is playing at the Travelers Championship is to keep in contact with potential Ryder Cup team members. Though the captain is admittedly early in the process of formulating who he thinks will and won’t make the team, the process has begun.
“Obviously Phil [Mickelson] is going to be on the team,” Pavin said. “I’m guessing that Jim [Furyk] and A.K. are probably on the team as well.
“I’ve liked the way it’s shaping up, the way the first 20 guys are. There’s people I want to see there. Part of watching the top eight is trying to figure out who’s not going to be in the top eight. Ideas are forming, but they’re small ideas at the moment.”
One of those who just climbed into that top eight is Tiger Woods, who is seventh in the Ryder Cup standings after his tie for fourth at the U.S. Open.
“I think he’s going to make the team on points and I know he wants to,” Pavin said. “I want him to be on the team. He’s the best player in the world.”
As for how Pavin will go about deciding who his four captains picks will be, he said that he’ll get “plenty of input” from his four assistant captains and the top eight players on the team. — Brian Wacker
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leave tiger off the team this year, he has to many other issues on his plate at this time. If you asked him he would only say yes to be polite. But it wouldn’t be good for him or the time. Time heals and this is not the time for him. I would advice him to change driver to taylor made, easier to hit for all.
The US won the last Ryder Cup without Tiger the last time. Do we really need him?
Who cares if you won without him or not. He is ranked the best player in the world and has played very little this year and still no one can step up and take over NUMBER 1 in the world… what does that say, everyone else is a distant second to him. I would want him on any one of my teams, even it it were just miniature golf… get a grip guys, by the time the Ryder Cup comes around he will have won one of the last two majors and be once again far and away the BEST.
Larry & Jay Tiger has only played six tournaments while the rest have played a lot more and Tiger still is NUMBER 1. Corey Pavin is making a wise choice wanting Tiger on the Ryder Cup Team. So as David put it get a grip guys. There is no one like Tiger.
It’s going to be up to Corey & Tiger in the end and I’m pretty sure if Tiger is asked, he will play!
Good Luck to them all!
I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want Tiger on their team. Yes, he is having a rough year but consider this, hes still the number 1 ranked player in the world, and he’s got 2 top-5 finishes in both majors, so I don’t know why you wouldn’t want him. He is the best clutch golfer out there and he almost always comes up big when needed. So of course put him on the team. And seriously, I don’t think changing his driver is going to help him at all. His issues aren’t his swing. It’s his head. As soon as he clears his head of all the distractions in his life, we will all see the same old Tiger we saw before all this came about, so changing drivers is not what he needs.
Yea…put him on the team.Despite what has happen this year..he can produce for you at anytime..give him a chance.
I would have him on my four ball team but foresomes. Watch out in Sundays singles he will be a half pointer. We better have a nice lead going into Sunday…
The US won the Ryder Cup last time, because the players were playing well before the Cup.Due to the change in the selection process ,it was assured that the team picked is the hottest players. In prior years, since a 2 year period was used to pick the team, the team was not usually full of the hottest players.The 2008 team did not win because Tiger was not there. By the way there are some players in line for the team who basically earned their points last year and are not playing well right now.
Who puts a team together and not pick the number 1 player in the world, no matter the sport? Sure he has difficulties off the tee but he still has more shots in the bag than anyone else. Ask the Europeans if the want Tiger on their team.
Maybe the best bet would be to have him play singles…I don’t see him in foursomes..but you never know…
Despite his misfortune..anyone will take the No. 1 guy all the time to lead whatever team it happens to be.
Go TIGER!..see you at St. Andrews.
I love to read the silent tiger hating tea party puff from the right leaning PGA TOUR lovers that wish he was never part of the game. TOO BAD! He is the best in the world, no one has stepped up and taken it and I don’t see it happening in the near future. You all still count this guy out! Haven’t you learned……he will be number one far longer than you would like for him to be ‘Old Money Country Club WORLD’. He has made the sport more money than ever fathomed and you still hate on him. Not one of you has the right. You know who you are.
It doesn’t matter whether Tiger plays or not…..Europe are too strong this year
US will win!
Nic – you are a fool to make a comment about The Tea Party and right leaning PGA Tour fans wishing Tiger was not part of the game. Most Americans love the fact the best player in the world is from the US and recognize what he has done for the game. And by the way, Tiger is a conservative. Get a life.
Even he has personal intense issue,he went to rehah & came back after 5 mths absent to play Golf which he loves.Also golfers around the world,expected him to come back-which he did.Up till now,he needs time to heal,still trying his best & maintaining his no; 1 position. Domestic & mental the hardest thing to recover for a long time-I as a retired, still playing golf for 30 yrs expereinced,my best wishes to the best Golfer of our time.
You’re message is right on Nic there are many bigoted Tiger haters out there and although I have never cared for his personality I have always admired is amazing talent … I have however lost all respect for him as a person … He has been proven to be a Liar and total scumbag when it comes to his off course actions … I will find it hard to root for someone who has hurt his family the way he has … I hope he can change his ways and repair some of the damages he has done … If he plays his way onto the team or is still in the top 20 in Ryder Cup points he well derserves to be there …
He is the best player ever!!! So, he must be on the team. He is the # 1 player in the World Ranking. So, he must be on the team. He always wins more games than anybody else on these tournaments. So, he must be on the team.
The on-course activities will be the least of Tiger’s worries…How about all those dinners, etc. with the players and their spouses…the players may have moved on, but I wouldn’t want to be “in his spikes” around those wives…yikes!
Whoa…best ever? Very very debatable. As for the Ryder Cup? He can’t
stand it. It’s just not his make up to play golf as a team sport. I really
think he does it because he HAS to not because he WANTS to. Tiger
unfortunately just doesn’t have the type of talent around him that will
push him or give him the fight that players of Nicklaus’ heydey did.
Tiger is the #1 player in the world. Even though he has only played in 6 tournaments this year, he’s already 7th in total Ryder Cup points. Wow! Having him on the U.S. team is good for the players, coaches, and the fans. I believe that he will make the team on his own merits…no need for a captain’s pick. When that happens, he’ll accept and do his best to represent America proudly!! GO Team USA and Tiger!
eldrick, schmeldrick. We won the Cup last year without him. He is TOO BIG A DISTRACTION and his wayward driver isn’t helping either. Give him another two years on the pine and see where he is at that point in time. IMHO, the US were much more together as a group at the Ryder Cup in Kentucky than ever in recent memory. That may have had a lot to do with Zinger, as it did with Crenshaw. But Crenshaw’s bunch wanted to get paid and that was the BS from that group. Pavin is intelligent and will make the right decision.
To all, if being ranked #1 in the world golf rankings by default makes you the BEST player in the world; Why hasn’t the BEST player won yet? Why is it that he’s so clutch, as people say, and couldn’t will that clutch power on Sunday’s this season to win. Why should we as golfers care about him being on the team when his record isn’t indicative of clutch performance. We need team cohesiveness not individuals. DO OUR PGA TOUR PRO’s TRUST IN HIM, REALLY? That’s the question to ask. The PRO’s can say one thing to the public, but behind the scenes say what they really feel. We all do! WE WILL RETAIN THE CUP! LET’S GO COREY!
The environment in which most peoples are exposed to, teaches them hate from cradle to the grave. Sad how we even try to justify hate.
I love all you Tiger haters taking advantage of him at a hard time. Soon you will be miserable as time will heal his wounds and the big cat will be back on top where he belongs.
As a captain, Pavin needs to decide who gives him the best chance to win and who are the best team players. Here’s Tiger’s Ryder Cup record…BEFORE folks found out the hard way that the Nike image was a sham: 7-11-2. That’s not being a hater since that’s the record. Obviously, for whatever reasons, this is one golfing arena he’s not dominated yet.
Took the words out of my mouth Wayne! Our best chance to win is with who finishes in the 8 and Coaches 4 picks. That’s how we’ll WIN! Rock the links folks!
Wayne do you suggest that anyone with an equal or worst record be left off the team also?
Wayne don’t leave out the fact that Tiger always faces Europes hottest player.
All you Tiger haters, if he is off the team the TV ratings will plummet, the networks will scream. Without Tiger the Tour will get ratings like Hockey and Soccer. When he retires the player purses will also drop.Let’s get real he is the money machine for the PGA.
Leave Eldrick “Straightjacket” Woods off the team. His arrogance has worn thin.
Wayne do not seem ready to respond to the question that I asked earlier. So to anyone who care to answer. Wayne gave Tiger ryder cup record as 7-11-2, and gave the impression that because of this record that Tiger should be left off the team. My question to Wayne was “do you suggest that anyone with an equal or worst record should be left off the team also?” If the answer is yes, then Phil Mickelson would be left off also with a 9-14-6 record, along with just about everyone else.
Wayne, first off Tiger’s record is 10-13-2 according to “rydercup.com”, which is a better record then Mickelson, Furyk, Kim and Johnson, who are the only US players in the top-20 rankings who have played in the Ryder Cup. The US has gotten hammered at every Ryder Cup, except ’99, since Tiger’s career began, which is why every US player has a bad record. Tiger has earned more points then any other US player during that time. But the team would be better without the best player of all-time?
Correction on Phil ryder cup record, it should read 10-14-6. So if Tiger record is 10-13-2 then that should put those records nearly mathematically even. Where is the cry from Wayne to leave Mickelson off the team. The point is, this was silly from the get go. Most of the other team members ryder cup records are worst than either of these.
Tiger is still the number one player. I say GO TIGER.
We keep on reading repeated statements that the U.S won the last Rider Cup without Tiger, who away recovering from knee surgery, and that therefore “we don’t need him”. With Tiger on that team, the U.S would have still won anyway! The U.S happened to win while Tiger was away, NOT BECAUSE HE WAS AWAY!! Furthermore, U.S teams have won Ryder Cups and other team events, like The President’s Cup, with Tiger on the team. I hope that the people who hold those negative and clearly hateful views of Tiger can tell the difference! These opinions are illogical and very silly. They are from people who are just jealuous of Tiger, and who have most likely, never broken 100 in their lives, if they even play the game at all!. Tiger’s achievements throughout his entire short career so far, especially over the past 10 years, qualify him to be arguably the best ever in the game, with no offence at all to Jack Nicklaus or Bobby Jones. He has been the only and overwhelming #1 ranked player in the world for the antire past 11 to 12 years,(i.e over an antire decade!), except Vijay Singh, who was, for a brief few months. Otherwise, Tiger has been #1 for more than an entire decade!!! The fact is, some people just can’t stomach it at all. Sorry, but Tiger haters can spit out as much hatred as they wish, but they can never, ever change any of the above facts.
Pavin will not have to make the decision on or off because Tiger will have already leaped up the points list by then anyway. He’s played six times and top four in both majors. Please nothing else needs to be said. British next and he’ll probably win there. To not have Tiger on the team would be the most stupid thing by a captain since Sutton!!!
Tiger’s report card has always read ‘does not play well with others’. Sadly this has carried over from the golf course to his marriage. He’s a lone wolf and besides, I think he’s had enough foursomes for one year.
Are were discussing Tiger’s form? Are we all taking a guess at whether Tiger is a good team player? How does Tiger’s performance stand up against his peers this year. Can you guy’s count. In the recent past Tiger plays less golf but ranks #1. Going on his results this year, it is heading in the same direction. Tiger’s inclusion on the team is a no brainer. If Tiger doesn’t play rider cup, it wont be because he wasn’t chosen on the team. By the way, TIGER ROCKS.
Tiger is still #1 in the world because they reformatted the formula several years ago to keep him there. Phil probably would be #1 if he had not taken time off for family. Tiger took time off for family but somehow it seems different. They can’t extend the length backwards any further because that would then probably place Jack Nicklaus as #1.
Wade you sound really bitter about something. Please express what is really bothering you, so we can understand and possibly cry with you.
Tiger Woods has been the #1 player in the golf for so long because he wins….Wade I hate to burst your bubble but even if Tiger was not the number one player Phil wouldn’t be #1 he does not win on a consistant basis..His play on the golfr course to me his play is not that of a winner….He’ll move alone and do well, but you know down deep he will do something that will cost him the victory….And if you want to compare Phil’s record to Tiger’s, you can’t…..Tiger has 71 wins, Phil 38 in any sports that’s second place….And the comment about taking time off….Phil took time off for family…Okay, Tiger was gone most of the year with knee surgery and he still was in first place….then there was the personal issues and Tiger took time off….AND STILL TIGER IS #1…PHIL PLAYED DURING ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME TIGER WAS OUT…….FACE IT TIGER WOODS IS THE BEST GOLFER IN THE GAME TODAY…..
Well…good to know I gave everyone something to talk about. The topic of discussion wasn’t whether Tiger Woods was a great golfer, the greatest golfer of all time, etc. It was simply who would be the best picks for the Ryder Cup this year, including whether Tiger should be on the team and play THIS YEAR. As many can tell, I don’t think Tiger — with all of his talent — will ever be for the game a Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, etc., for obvious reasons. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t admire a well-executed shot he hits, etc. Come on, folks. As for the Ryder Cup, it’s a fact that Tiger has not been as dominant at this format as he has been in the majors for whatever reasons. Herb Brooks, if anyone remembers, won the Miracle on Ice not with the best players but because he picked those who would play the best as a team. The results speak for themselves. Finally, I never said Phil Mickelson was a ‘better’ golfer than Woods and had better results. That’s obvious since he hasn’t won as many majors. And yet, I will confess (call me a fuddy duddy) that there’s more to golf than just hammering a course into submission and collecting individual honors. So I look at the bigger picture, including character, how a player carries himself, treats the fans, sponsors, media, etc…