In Ryder Cup, Tiger’s a pussycat

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Tiger Woods may be the greatest golfer of all-time — but he’s a terrible American.

He proved he had no desire to represent the red, white and blue this week by turning down a position as an assistant to U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger.

His reasoning? He didn’t want to hog the spotlight.

The most popular athlete on the planet was worried about taking away the attention from his teammates on golf’s biggest stage when a team of the top American’s meets Europe’s best on at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 16.

“I’m not on the team," Woods wrote on his Web site. “The event should be about the competitors and the competition. The guys will have plenty on their minds and I wish them the best. I’ll be cheering loudly.”

Where to start?

First Tiger, you are on the team.

You qualified to represent your country with your victory at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Sure, the win put you on the sidelines for at least the next 10 months with a torn ligament in your left knee and a double-stress fracture in the same leg.

But it isn’t a reason you can’t contribute.

It’s a reason to not show up.

It’s a reason to take the easy way out of a competition dominated by the Europeans the past three years and in four of the past five.

That’s why the U.S. needs the world’s top-ranked golfer to contribute any way possible. Listen, if the United States Tiddly Winks Association asked me to be a towel boy at a big game, I’d drag my 6-foot-1, 280-pound unathletic frame to wherever they needed me to help my country.

But wait.

I thought Tiger said the focus should be on the competition. It would be if the Americans could finally win — something they have a much better chance of doing with Tiger. Most likely his presence would create a media buzz, which would lift some of the pressure off teammates.

And if they would win, sure, Tiger would share in the celebration.

But only he didn’t puff out his swoosh-emblazoned chest. It would be the ultimate test for one of the best individual athletes to adapt to a team setting.

A test Tiger chose to fail.

But then again the Stanford graduate and 14-time major champion never has played well with others.

Tiger has played for the Ryder Cup five times , most recently in 2006. He’s played in 25 total matches. Naturally, the greatest golfer of all-time is 3-1-1 in match play. But in foursome play and foursome best-ball play, which is just as important in a team’s chances of winning, Tiger’s played more like a neutered kitten.

Tiger is 3-6-1 all-time in foursome play and 4-6 in foursome best-ball action. Oh, and that 10-13-2 career record is the second-most losses ever by an American.

And I might be able to give him the benefit of the doubt, if not for previous comments he made about the Ryder Cup.

In 2002 when the event was held at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England, Tiger made the comment there were “a million reasons why” he would rather win a World Golf Championship with a million dollar winner’s share, than bring the Ryder Cup back home. He didn’t do himself any more favors by deciding to practice alone than instead of with his teammates.

Later, he claimed he was “trying to be funny” with his comment.

Funny guy.

By the time Woods is done with his career, he’ll almost certainly shatter Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 career major victories and be the greatest golfer who ever swung a club.

It’s too bad for America — and for golf.

I wish Tiger would pick up the phone and call my high school football coach, Bill Giovino in central Pennsylvania. He’ll tell Woods the same thing he told me when I was still an unathletic football player my sophomore year nearly a decade ago.

“There’s no ‘I’ in team.”

But man, there sure is one in “Tiger.”

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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