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 Though Woods missed the fourth major cut of his professional
career at last week's PGA Championship after playing a limited
schedule this year following back surgery, Watson said he would rely
on Woods's to honestly assess his readiness to play.
"I think it really directly comes from Tiger, how he assesses
himself, because Tiger, he has a directness to him. He's just like
me. I'm direct and he's direct," Watson told a news conference at
Valhalla on Monday.
"I can't assess his medical condition and I honestly can't assess
how he's playing. It really is going to be having to come from
information from Tiger himself."
Woods is not scheduled to play again before Watson announces the
wildcards on Sept. 2, although he could find a tournament to play in
to test his form.
"The most important thing is his health," Watson said, a day after
the automatic top-nine selections in his team had been inked in for
Gleneagles.
"I've said it consistently all the way through the issue with Tiger
after his injury. If he's healthy and is playing well, I'll pick
him. Right now, his health is not good.
"He is Tiger Woods and he brings a lot to the team, if he has the
ability to play and he's healthy. He brings a lot to the team. And
I'd be a fool not to consider him."
Woods had only pronounced himself fit to compete at Valhalla Golf
Club on the eve of the tournament, having suffered a back scare
three days earlier, and looked rusty and out-of-sorts in both
rounds.
The former world number one has given no indication as to when he
will next compete, and many pundits believe he may shut down his
playing commitments for the rest of the year.
"I just need to get stronger first," said Woods, who had a procedure
to treat a pinched nerve in his back on March 31. "We'll see from
there."
UNLIKELY NOD
While Woods's participation is still in serious doubt, U.S. captain
Watson has been delighted by the motivation shown by his already
qualified players as the Americans bid to end a run of seven losses
against Europe in the last nine Ryder Cups.
"I'm wonderfully happy with the team," Watson said. "I believe that
each and every player has the ability to play great golf and compete
in the highest level in the Ryder Cup.
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"My job as a captain is to inspire them, if I can, and the motivation is
there. These players are motivated to the nth degree to win this Ryder
Cup. And that's all I ask of them.”
At the 2012 Ryder Cup in Chicago, the U.S. threw away a commanding
four-point lead heading into the final day in what became known as the
'Meltdown at Medinah', losing to Europe by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2.
The automatic nine qualifiers for Watson’s 2014 team after the PGA
Championship were Masters champion Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Jim
Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Jordan Spieth, Patrick
Reed and Zach Johnson.
The Americans are already without long-hitting Dustin Johnson, who has
taken an indefinite leave of absence to deal with "personal challenges",
and there are concerns over world number six Kuchar, who withdrew before
the start of the PGA Championship due to back spasms.
Watson will announce his three wildcard picks on Sept. 2, the day after
the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship finishes in Norton,
Massachusetts.
“As far as my three (wildcard) spots are concerned, over the next three
weeks I'll be very, very focused on the players who are high up in the
ranks,” said Watson.
“And with that said, there's a factor that I look at most and that's the
gut factor; the factor that, can that man play under pressure, can that
man hit the shots under pressure.”
(Editing by Frank Pingue and Larry Fine)
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