NASSAU, Bahamas – Tiger Woods will put on a new hat in 2019 as he prepares to captain the U.S. team at next year’s Presidents Cup in Australia.
Woods, who plans to make a scouting trip to Royal Melbourne next week, has served as an American vice captain, most recently at last year’s Presidents Cup, but this will be his first turn driving the captain’s golf cart.
It seems possible, likely even, that Woods will wear two hats next December as both captain and player given that he’s currently 16th on the U.S. Presidents Cup points list. On Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge Woods was asked about his role as a potential playing captain.
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“Would I like to be a playing captain? Yes,” said Woods, pointing out that Hale Irwin served as a playing captain at the ’94 matches after qualifying for the U.S. team. “That’s very similar to what I would do. If I make the team on points, yes, I’ll play.”
And if he doesn’t earn a spot on the team, would he consider naming himself one of his four captain’s picks?
“Then it’s up to myself, my vice captains and the rest of the players who are already on the team, who is best suited to play,” Woods said. “If we think that it’s someone else, then I don’t play. It will be a team decision on who are the next four picks.”
This year’s U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Jim Furyk, picked Woods as one of his wildcard selections and Woods failed to earn any points.