Woods with team in spirit: Thomas

KOHLER (Wisconsin) • Tiger Woods is not expected to attend this weekend's Ryder Cup as he continues to recover from his February car accident but his enthusiasm will be felt by the United States team at Whistling Straits, Justin Thomas said on Tuesday.

The 2017 PGA Championship winner met the 15-time Major champion several times last week, and although their conversations were focused primarily on Woods' health, the seven-time Ryder Cup veteran remains an enthusiastic supporter of the team.

"He's so into it," Thomas said.

"He obviously wants the best for our team. He wants the best for all of us. It means a lot to him."

Thomas was part of the Woods-led US team who came from behind to defeat a squad of Internationals at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne.

Ex-world No. 1 Woods eagerly congratulated his teammates after the winning putt dropped, making it clear he relishes the opportunity to be part of a team.

"You all saw in Australia how much it meant to him," Thomas added.

"The amount of work and the amount of hours he's willing to spend to make sure he feels like the team is prepared and as ready to go as possible is pretty cool."

But he said Woods, who had been selected as vice-captain before being sidelined by his ongoing rehabilitation, also understands that there is no need to micromanage the Americans, who have an average world ranking of ninth compared to 30th for Europe.

"At the end of the day, he also understands that we're 12 of the best players in the world, and we know how to play golf. Sometimes, less is more, so I think he's great at balancing that out. It was more, 'I'm here if you need me', kind of thing," Thomas said."

US captain Steve Stricker added that while Woods will be away from the action, he is still very much involved.

"He's been in my ear a lot and I call him pretty regularly," he said.

"He's part of our Ryder Cup Team. He's part of what we do. He's been part of so many of these teams. So to bounce ideas off him, all of us, players alike, I know some of the players went over to see him.

Ryder Cup wins for the Americans, while the Europeans have 14. Two of the 42 editions have ended in a tie.

"But it's just not a good time for him to be here physically because of where he's at in his rehabilitation and it's tough course to walk."

The biennial Cup, which was postponed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, begins tomorrow.

REUTERS