Sports Then and Now

It is still unclear whether Tiger Woods will be part of the U.S. team at the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Twelve months ago, anyone suggesting that golf’s world number one and the sport’s most high-profile player wouldn’t be taking part in the 2010 Ryder Cup would have been greeted with a reply of “Is he injured?” or “Are you mad?” However, with golf’s most famous event rapidly approaching, has the time come for the mighty Tiger to be denied a wildcard pick and be left to watch the competition on television alongside millions of fans?

Despite having shown earlier promise when he returned to the clubhouse after taking time off to sort out his personal problems, Woods has failed to reach the heights that had seen him become possibly golf’s greatest ever player.

Having openly admitted he is struggling with his game, and suffering the ignominy of requiring a wildcard pick just to make the team, it is now time to leave the Tiger at home and instead look to the form guide when choosing who captain Corey Pavin should be taking with him to Celtic Manor.

With the US currently massive underdogs with Ryder Cup Betting to retain the trophy they won in 2008, and with no US team having triumphed in Europe since 1993, Pavin is under limited pressure to deliver at the competition, giving him the ideal opportunity to hand a chance to a player in better form.

Should Pavin choose to pick Woods, and he continues to demonstrate the kind of form that has been dogging his game lately, Pavin will be forced to answer questions as to why he picked someone so out of form.

With European captain Colin Montgomerie seeing his players show a lack of passion for the Cup, Pavin knows that he needs to make the right calls to give his side a chance of upsetting the Ryder Cup Odds.