If you are Padraig Harrington you probably don’t care at all. If you were the advertising firm who paved the road to Royal Birkdale with pictures of the great man then you’ve probably had a better couple of months. But even when he can’t play Tiger seems to be the only story in town. And now, for the first time since 1997, we are facing a Ryder Cup without the world number one. Will his absence harm the American challenge? And what will a Tiger-less three days mean for the Ryder Cup?
Some people felt that a Tiger shaped space in the team room would boost Team USA. Far from being bolstered by the presence of the world number one the American players were overawed to be playing with the guy who destroyed them each week on the Tour while the Europeans were inspired by the chance of having a crack at Tiger in a format that he didn’t feel comfortable with. Without Tiger the Americans would make a game of it and, the thinking went, the tournament was in far greater need of an American victory than another display of petted lip sulking by the world number one.
That's not a view shared by former Executive Director of the European Tour, Ken Schofield: "I find it astonishing that people are questioning if the US will miss Tiger. He is the best player in the world and his Ryder Cup record is not as bad as people suggest. He has been beaten only once in the singles and that was after one of the all time great Ryder Cup performances by Constantino Rocca. Any team, anywhere in the world, would want Tiger Woods."
Indeed Tiger has a 44% record in the Ryder Cup with ten wins, 13 losses and two halves. That’s not a great record – six of this year’s European team can boast of better – but only Mickelson of Woods’ fellow Americans can match it. Since 1997 Woods has won more points than any other American. Three points out of five last time around wasn’t earth shattering but it represented the best American performance of the week as Woods accounted for almost a third of his team’s points. In 2002 and 2004 he was their second highest points scorer. The last three American teams have been poor but if they had all performed like Woods they wouldn’t have been on the end of three consecutive cuffings.
The common charge against Woods is that he just doesn't care. Certainly his disposition at the event suggest he'd rather be elsewhere. It's true other players care more. Kenny Perry cares so much that he was determined to do anything and everything to get on the team. Justin Leonard became a national hero for caring so much at Brookline in 1999. Both of them care more than Woods. Azinger will no doubt welcome their patriotism in the team room. But he’ll also be acutely aware that Leonard and Perry have never managed to win a Ryder Cup match. Not one.
Caring only gets you so far. Woods doesn't like the control he loses in the pairs formats as you can see from his face when his partners mess up. Even in the Ryder Cup he cares about winning. And Azinger wil have had to change his plans. Since 1997 Tiger has played every game at every Ryder Cup. He does so without a smile but also without complaint and Azinger would have fully expected his best player to bring that grudging self sacrifice to Valhalla.
On paper, then, winning back the Ryder Cup looks like a massive task. It would be hard enough with Tiger, it might be impossible without him although Ken Schofield argues that there are no foregone conclusions:
"I don’t think there are any favourites. People forget how difficult it is – in any sport – to go and win away from home. The interesting thing this time is there are so many people new to the Ryder Cup on both sides and how they will deal with the unique pressure. This cauldron has been built up, the Ryder Cup has become golf’s Olympics, and dealing with the pressure is important. I saw Hunter Mahan at the President’s Cup and – despite what he said and has since apologised for – he will not be overawed. Expect him to really compete when the starter’s gun goes."
With so many newcomers the captains will look to their more experienced players to lead their teams. For some people Tiger's absence is a great chance for Phil Mickelson to stamp his authority on the event.
In the past few years Mickelson and Woods have seemed too caught up in their dislike of each other to unite against Europe. With Tiger gone and Europe looking less experienced than they have for years, Mickelson has the chance to prove that he is the best player at the event.
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Ken Schofield again: "Mickleson has that capability. With three majors he should be the leader for America as Harrington should be for Europe. Indeed for all the talk of favourites America come with four major champions in Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Justin Leonard and Ben Curtis while Europe only have Harrington. So America, even without Tiger, still have a six to three advantage in majors won."
And, Ken argues, Europe also have adjustments to make: "The loss of players such as Olazabal – who I am sure will do a fine job as Faldo’s vice captain – and Donald has been underplayed. Along with Montgomerie, Clarke and McGinley that is a lot of experience from the last few European Ryder Cup sides that is missing. Harrington, Westwood and Garcia will need to be the new heartbeat of the side."
Despite the changes and subplots that we know will be on show at Valhalla, as the event draws closer Tiger is suddenly beginning to dominate the Ryder Cup landscape. Azinger seems desperate to have Tiger on side in some way. Woods, the man who is said to hate the event, is now being touted as the one person who can motivate his erstwhile teammates in Kentucky. Even if Tiger’s not on the spot, Azinger has vowed to keep an open line so he can pick his brains on what’s unfolding at Valhalla. If Tiger is some kind of Ryder Cup jinx then nobody has bothered to tell the captain.
But does Azinger really think he needs Tiger's help or is he simply aware that when you combine America's recent record with Tiger's absence interest in the Ryder Cup will plummet? Known as a fierce competitor who hated losing to the Europeans, the last thing Azinger, the man who was supposed put the fight back in his team, wants is to be in charge when the event hits a brick wall of apathy with the American public. Getting Tiger on side will at least go some way to protecting the NBC network's $13 million investment at Valhalla.
Ken Schofield argues that Azinger is, in fact, making the sensible choice for his team: "Any participation from Woods will help the team. He is so intelligent about golf he will be able to help but his profile is such that if he were to go he knows all the attention will be on him. But any connection will be positive for the US team and their captain. Azinger is a very proud American and a proud competitor and also very shrewd. He is being assisted by a winning captain, Dave Stockton, and an undefeated captain, Raymond Floyd, so he already has a lot of positives and talking to Tiger will add to that."
And will another European win this time against a Tiger free American side simply prove to the United States that the event has had it's day? Again, Ken disagrees: "Not at all, although you are either in one or the other camp over this. An American win isn’t needed to sustain the Ryder Cup. Great Britain and Europe lost the first four or five Ryder Cups that I was involved with but there was no question of stopping. I have far too much respect for American golf to ever think they would just give up if they lose this or the next couple of Ryder Cups. Americans in general have never struck me as people who give up. And if they win they'll be able to say they did it without Tiger."
So the Ryder Cup appears to be strong enough to survive the year of Tiger's knee. Like Mr Woods, we will all just need to wait and see if America's hopes of regaining the trophy prove quite as hardy.
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