Davis Love III says Tiger Woods is the obvious choice to replace Zach Johnson as Team USA captain ahead of next year's Ryder Cup; "I hate to put pressure on him, but it's his call. Obviously with some guys out, he's the next logical choice. Hopefully, we can talk him into it".
Friday 6 October 2023 08:19, UK
Tiger Woods won the US Open at Bethpage in 2002, and he made a success of captaining USA at the Presidents Cup in 2019 as his side secured a 16-14 win over the Rest of the World.
Fast forward to four years later, and the 48-year-old is leading the race to replace Zach Johnson as Team USA's captain ahead of next year's Ryder Cup, despite continuing rehabilitation from injuries sustained in a car crash in February 2021.
Woods' old friend Davis Love III is keen for him to take on the role and help turn the tide against Team Europe.
"We've got to call and ask him. I think if he wants - obviously Tiger's into a lot of stuff right now, and I hate to put pressure on him, but it's his call," Love explained.
"Obviously with some guys out, he's the next logical choice. I don't know if we want to put that much time and effort into it.
"It takes a lot out of you. Hopefully we can talk him into it."
Love also had more to say on stepping away from the action and taking a back seat as the next generation passed through.
"It's incredibly hard. I told a few people over at the Ryder Cup, I said this is my last time, and they were like no, no, no, and I'm like yeah, yeah, yeah, it's time.
"I told that to Tiger in 2019, I said I'm done. He said, yeah, you're right, probably time, who do we think we ought to get, young guys? And then [Steve] Stricker brought me right back in the next year," he chuckled.
"I'll never quit helping if they want me to help, but I'd be better in logistics now, behind the scenes. Tiger's been a big help behind the scenes too.
"Maybe that's what he and I want to keep doing; stay behind the scenes and help out Stewart Cink or whoever the next guy is."
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