Let us take a trip back to 1994. The Presidents Cup was just around the corner and U.S. golfer Hale Irwin was named captain for the team. But there came a twist soon after, and a unique one at that. Any guesses? Well, the golfer managed to play well leading up to the event and qualify himself through the points table. Yes, you read that right! He became the first and the only playing U.S. captain for the biennial event, that is, until Tiger Woods in 2019!
Deem it fortunate or not, the golfer was selected as skipper for the American team, as per Bradley Hughes’s blog. Quite an inconceivable choice if not for the fact that his 2019 run didn’t help him qualify for the team. Then came the iconic Masters Tournament, which witnessed the legend managing to clinch back the title after 14 long years.
His good times didn’t stop there. Come October, Tiger Woods clinched his 82nd victory at the Zozo Championship at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Japan. Remember what happened after that? Well, the U.S. Team skipper named himself a ‘Captain’s pick’ for the 2019 Presidents Cup, following Irwin’s suit after 25 long years.
The result of him picking himself? Well, nothing short of scintillating, to be honest, as the golfer went 3-0-0 while clinching a win each on the Fourball, Foursome, and singles. Don’t get impressed yet, for the surprising part is just coming. His 2019 run at the Presidents Cup helped him surpass Phil Mickelson as the all-time leading match-winner with 27 wins, one more than the ‘Lefty’.
He came. He selected himself. He delivered. And by doing so, Woods made sure his patriotism was showcased throughout the tournament. But as we come back to the present, his absence at the 2024 edition of the biennial event is anything but disappointing.
A Tiger Woods-less Presidents Cup in 2024
“Tiger and I have been friendly over the years,” divulged the current skipper of the U.S. Team, Jim Furyk, when asked about his selections. “But I didn’t give him a call to talk about the picks at all.” Surprising, especially since the golfer holds so many records in the sport and was an assistant captain at the 2016 Ryder Cup and 2017 Presidents Cup. Even back at the event that took place in 2023, the skipper Zach Johnson had kept the 48-year-old in the loop when it came to the team’s preparations.
Then again, his choice of keeping away from the tournament does make a bit of sense. The reason? Well, the golfer declined to take up the role of the U.S. skipper for the 2025 Ryder Cup captain, following which the mantle was handed to Keegan Bradley. Considering the choice he made, he himself must have stayed away from the upcoming competition. Anyhow, regardless of him keeping his distance, Woods’ fans would surely want to see him as a captain or otherwise in future events.
