Monday, August 16, 2010

Deflated Tiger left sweating on Ryder Cup selection

Tiger Woods could not mount a challenge in the final major of the season and finished well off the pace.
Tiger Woods could not mount a challenge in the final major of the season and finished well off the pace.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Tiger Woods finishes outside the top eight spots for the U.S. Ryder Cup team
  • World number one blows his chance with disappointing final round at Whistling Straits
  • He will now rely on a pick from United States captain Corey Pavin
  • PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer clinches his spot on European team

(CNN) -- Tiger Woods may have clung on to his world number one status but after a disappointing final round at the PGA Championship will have to rely on captain Corey Pavin to play in the Ryder Cup.

Woods needed to finish in the top 15 at Whistling Straits to have any chance of forcing his way into the eight automatic selections for the United States team to face Europe at Celtic Manor in October.

Handily placed after three rounds, Woods stumbled to a one-over 73 to end up in a tie for 28th.

"I hit my irons really good today. I drove it terrible," was his verdict.

His performance was certainly an improvement on a disastrous showing in the preceding WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Woods briefly led at the start of his first round, but after that the inconsistencies crept in.

"I didn't miss a shot for the first four holes. And then after that I hit it awful," he added.

Corey texts me a lot so, I'm sure he'll be texting me or calling me and I'm sure we'll be talking
--Tiger Woods
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Woods could have done with replicating the final round 67 of arch-rival Phil Mickelson, which lifted him into a tie for 12th, but not enough to surpass his fellow American in the rankings.

Woods is now hoping that U.S. captain Corey Pavin will make him one of his four captain's picks.

"Corey texts me a lot so, I'm sure he'll be texting me or calling me and I'm sure we'll be talking.

"We still have what, two more weeks, right? Two more weeks before the picks? Three more weeks?"

Woods is still searching for his first win of a truncated season and has not claimed a major since the U.S. Open in 2008.

Consolation for runner-up Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, who was penalized two shots to miss out on the playoff, comes as they have moved into the automatic eight spots.

Germany's Martin Kaymer has sealed his place in the Europe team after his first major victory, while Paul Casey, who tied 12th, has also forced his way into the nine automatic selection spots.

It leaves Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington and Justin Rose now requiring picks from captain Colin Montgomerie, but Sergio Garcia's decision to take a break from golf has made his decision a little easier.

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