HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Even after his worst 72-hole
finish in a major, Tiger Woods says he would pick himself for the Ryder
Cup team.
His first major of the year, and second tournament since
March 31 back surgery, wasn’t much of an audition for U.S. captain Tom
Watson. Woods was never the same after opening the British Open with a
69. The mistakes kept piling up, and so did the big numbers, and he
closed with a 3-over 75 on Sunday at Royal Liverpool.
"I just made too many mistakes," Woods said.
He
finished at 6-over 294, matching his highest score in the British Open.
Only three players had a worse score, including U.S. Open champion
Martin Kaymer, and Woods finished in 69th place. His previous worst was a
tie for 40th in the PGA Championship last year and the 2012 Masters.
Worse yet, he didn’t even beat the 64-year-old captain. Watson birdied his last hole for a 68,
"It’s just one day. It’s a snapshot," Watson said. "It’s not a big deal."
Still,
the concern was clear. Watson was speaking to the media as Woods was
still on the course when he asked if Woods was shooting under par. Told
that he was 4 over at the time, Watson said, "That’s not very good."
Woods
still has two tournaments left before the end of Ryder Cup qualifying
at the PGA Championship. He is No. 72 in the standings, and aside from
winning the final major of the year, his best bet is to be one of
Watson’s three picks.
Asked if he would be inclined to pick him if were in Watson’s position, Woods said with a smile, "I
would say yes."
"But
that’s my position, my take on it," Woods said. "He’s the captain.
Obviously, it’s his decision. He’s going to field the best 12 players
that he thinks will win the cup back. And I hope I’m on that team."
Woods
is unlikely to make the FedEx Cup playoffs unless he picked up top-3
finishes at Firestone and the PGA Championship, and that means Watson
would have to judge him on those tournaments unless Woods were to play
elsewhere. Europe isn’t appealing, with events in Denmark, the Czech
Republic and Italy.
"It would make it tougher for me to pick him if he’s not playing," Watson said.
Watson
is more inclined to see more from Woods before a rush to judgment.
Woods has played only six rounds since back surgery to alleviate a
pinched nerve that forced him to miss three months, including two
majors.
The scorecard showed two triple bogeys and three double
bogeys. He said his return at Congressional three weeks ago, where he
missed the cut by four shots, was at least a chance to make sure he was
pain free and shake off some rust.
The rust was still there.
"I
was certainly expecting it, yes, but I just thought that I know how to
play links golf," Woods said. "I know how to grind it on these golf
courses, and hitting the shots I thought I could get around here. I did
the first day. After a bad start I got it back. And unfortunately, as I
said, I made too many mistakes with the doubles and triples."
He
said he remained encouraged — the same word he used when missing the cut
at Congressional — and even said he could see comparisons to these last
two tournaments with a rehab assignment for a baseball player.
"There’s
a lot of things I need to work on, but I haven’t been able to work a
lot," Woods said. "I was down for three months. So I’m just now starting
to come back. … I’m still building. I’m still working on my game. And
I’m getting stronger and faster."
Woods has missed only one Ryder
Cup since his first one in 1997. That was in 2008, when he missed the
second half of the season with reconstructive knee surgery. He was a
captain’s pick in 2010 by Corey Pavin, following a year of personal
turmoil that led to divorce and the hiring of a new swing coach.
Woods went 3-1 in Wales, his best performance in a Ryder Cup.
He
was confused talking about that year, saying he was coming off an
injury and missed most of the summer. That actually was the following
year, when Fred Couples picked him for the Presidents Cup team. Either
way, Woods felt he could contribute to the team and "that’s all you want
as a pick."