Tiger Woods was again in the news heading into the weekend, but not for anything inside the ropes. He found eyes trained on him as he announced the finalization of Team USA’s contingent to the Presidents Cup. As skipper for the old red, white, and blue, he couldn’t help but wade into murky waters. He made four at-large selections that were, in and of themselves, justifiable, and yet subject to second-guessing given the depth of the talent at his disposal. He could have gone any which way, but instead opted to tread a path that was alternately predictable and unfamiliar.
In the end, Woods can argue with reason than his choices were, well, inevitable. He picked himself, and not simply because he had just claimed victory number 82 of his PGA Tour career; obligations to organizers and sponsors, not to mention fans, in light of his status as the sport’s biggest draw made him a lock regardless of the state of his game. He picked Gary Woodland, reigning United States Open champion and fresh off impressive stops in Asia; “you couldn’t have a better, more competitive guy,” he said. And he picked Tony Finau, who excelled in last year’s Ryder Cup, and who, with five Top 10s in the last eight major championships, figured to do just as well in Australia next month.
Interestingly, Woods also went with Patrick Reed, who, despite having earned the moniker “Captain America” for spirited performances in previous team competitions, had a less-then-fruitful outing in France last year. He was mediocre at best with a club in his hand, and a certified bust with a microphone trained on him. He threw teammate Jordan Spieth under the bus, and then blasted captain Jim Furyk after the US was shellacked into submission. Heck, he didn’t even spare his new leader, insinuating that the latter brought him down with poor play as a partner.
Under the circumstances, Woods could have dodged criticism by instead tapping Spieth, a proven yeoman for flag and country, or Kevin Kisner, who sports a stellar record in match play. He likewise kept Rickie Fowler off the squad; it was, he disclosed, the “toughest call [I had] to make.” For all his alternatives, he still chose Reed, “a person who’s as fiery as they come … He’ll do anything to get a point for you.” Which speaks volumes of his level of maturity, and of the strides his pick must have made to mend fences in the intervening period.
Insofar as making tough decisions prior to the actual matches goes, Woods may not yet be done. World Number One Brooks Koepka recently aggravated a knee injury and could be a scratch. Should he be forced to choose one more name, he will again be in a quandary. While next in line, Fowler had a bacterial infection near the end of a honeymoon and may not have enough time to recover. In any case, the US will be the heavy favorite, as always. It’s bringing a 10-1-1 slate to the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, and nothing should deter it from notching another win when all is said and done.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
