“At least you’re watching everything on TV” – Davis Love III calls Tiger Woods amid Presidents Cup, says he misses it
The 14th edition of the Presidents Cup is underway at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event, held from September 22 to September 25, features the best golfers in the world. As top names fight it out to take the coveted trophy, Tiger Woods can only watch it from his house. The legendary golfer is absent from the team competition and the US side has already begun to miss him.
Woods was phenomenal in 2019 when he led the American team to a comeback victory at Royal Melbourne in Australia as the captain. The ace golfer has also been a top player. The 15-time major champion has been an integral contributor to the US team in the past. Despite being out of the event this year, he remains a part of Davis Love III’s team.
One goal: Retain the Cup.
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Davis Love III phoned Tiger Woods mid-match to make him feel involved despite his absence from the event
The US team captain seems to have missed Tiger Woods on the pitch and it showed on Thursday. Interestingly, Davis Love III made sure Woods remained part of the game by calling him mid-event. Love was lingering on the sixth tee on Thursday afternoon at Quail Hollow Club when he thought about Woods. As the US team was cruising after taking an early lead against an inexperienced International squad, Love decided to ring up his former teammate.
Davis Love III dialed up his honorary assistant captain Tiger Woods. The latter, who was watching the event from the comfort of his house, took the call and spoke to the team captain during his few idle minutes. Woods, who is rehabbing his injured right leg, showcased that he can be a supportive member of the team even from outside the course.
Tiger Woods, Davis Love III & Fred Couples have been named captains' assistants for the U.S. Presidents Cup team.
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Speaking to the media about his conversation with Tiger Woods, Love said that the former misses the game. The US team captain revealed that he told Woods to call if he sees anything special in the game. He added that the 46-year-old was involved with the team despite the absence.
Love said:
“I was standing on the sixth tee for like an hour … a long time, so I called him… I said, ‘Well at least you’re watching everything on TV. Call us if you see anything.’ He’s having fun. He obviously misses it.”
However, Love shied away from disclosing the observations Woods made on the game. The captain went on to add that Woods would have loved to be at the event in person if it wasn’t for his injuries.
Love said:
“The other night on a Zoom call, Fred [Couples, an assistant captain], said to him, ‘When are you getting in?’ And Tiger said, ‘What did you say? I can’t hear you.’ He wishes he were here… You know, it’s not easy, banging around on a golf cart or walking up and down hills. I get it. But we’re including him.”
The US team, however, doesn’t seem like it misses Tiger Woods as a member. The team led by Davis Love III eased to win 4-1 on Day 1 of the event. They seem to have found themselves in a sweet spot against the relatively inexperienced International side that struggled on the course.
Why isn’t Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup?
Tiger Woods suffered a terrible car accident in 2020, which forced him into recovery for months. The accident, which almost cost him his right leg, has kept Woods out of multiple tournaments in the last two years. The ace golfer played at the Masters in April, but only managed to finish 47th on the table. Following this, Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship in May due to pain. He also skipped the US Open in June.
Davis Love III decided to pick relatively newer and more in-form faces for his team. Woods wasn’t even named as an assistant captain, adding to the worries of many. Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson were named as the captain’s assistants. However, the recent phone call at the Quail Hollow Club has proven that Woods is no short of an honorary assistant.