Tiger Woods is a golf legend and has been a tremendous force in the two most important team competitons in the world: the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. Tiger is one of the best athletes in history after winning 15 Majors and a record 82 PGA Tour events.
Three years ago, Tiger Woods set the Presidents Cup record for most victories when he obtained his 27th match win in a long anticipated duel against Mexican golf star: Abraham Ancer. That week was magical for Tiger at Royal Melbourne (Australia) closing and unforgettable year which had as its brightest moment the triumph in the 2019 Masters at Augusta National. After all the injuries and the turmoil, nobody expected Tiger’s comeback. He did it and shocked the world.
The supremacy of Team USA at the Presidents Cup is remarkable. They are 11-1-1 since the event started in 1994 and Tiger Woods has been a huge part of that success. After being the first playing captain in 25 years, everyone expected him to be back in 2022 at Quail Hollow. That will not happen because of very powerful reasons.
Why is Tiger Woods not playing in the 2022 Presidents Cup?
On February 23, 2021, Tiger Woodswas hospitalized after a single-car accidentin California. Since that tragic episode, in which he miraculously survived, things weren’t the same for the golf legend. Tiger was on the verge of losing his right leg and had open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portion of the tibia and fibula bones.
A year later, Tiger surprised everyone by returning to compete. He came back in the 2022 Masters and his presence was well beyond the result. That wasn’t about trying to win, it was simply a demonstration of how alive he felt after the car accident. Then, during the next few months, Tiger Woods tried and played the PGA Championshipand the Open Championship, but, the truth is he could barely walk through 18-hole rounds.
That’s why to no surprise, Davis Love III didn’t consider Tiger as a captain pick for the 2022 Presidents Cup. At the moment, Woods’ main goal is to be healthy for his family and, if in the future he continues to progress, golf might still be an option. Another important detail is that Tiger Woods won’t be an assistant captain either. Many expected him in a role helping Davis Love III’s strategy, but, he simply won’t be present at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.