World number one Tiger Woods says he is ready to take on a leadership role for the United States team in the Ryder Cup showdown with Europe next week.
The 30-year-old American, whose dominance of world golf contrasts with his modest Ryder Cup record, has often given the impression of a peripheral figure during the biennial event and has been criticised for lacking team commitment.
"Davis (Love III) isn't on the team anymore . . . Jay Haas wasn't on the team, Mark O'Meara . . . you know all the guys that have played multiple Ryder Cups," Woods said in London's Docklands yesterday.
"I think it's (Jim) Furyk, myself and Phil (Mickelson) that have played five and four (Ryder Cups) so I think all three of us are going to take on more of a leadership role because we don't have the guys who have been there longer. We are now the vets (veterans) on the team."
Woods, who believes the US are underdogs to reclaim the trophy they last won in Brookline in 1999, says the 12-man American team has the right mix of youth and experience to do well at the K Club.
"As far as our team coming together it's very interesting that actually it's a younger team. I believe I'm still the youngest . . . most of the guys are between 30 and 40 where most years we have a sprinkling of maybe three or four guys in their 40s," he said. "Brett (Wetterich) might be the oldest of the four rookies at 33. I think we can all relate to each other being so much the same age."
Woods has already demonstrated his commitment by taking the team's four rookies - Vaughn Taylor, JJ Henry, Zach Johnson and Wetterich - out to dinner recently. "We had a great time . . . had some nice steak and we basically just talked about my experiences in the cup, what to expect . . . things you have to be ready for and also to reiterate to these guys that they have earned their place on the team."
Woods is particularly looking forward to seeing Darren Clarke next week who will be competing at the K Club less than six weeks after his wife Heather lost her fight with cancer.
"What Darren has gone through you would not wish on anybody and I think it's just fantastic (he is in the European team)," said Woods.
"He is one of my good friends and to see him picked to play says a lot about what Woosie thinks of Darren as a player. It's about the quality of the player you are and the person you are. He earned the right to be on the team.
"Darren is going to have a huge impact, not just for the Europeans, but for all of us. It's truly remarkable he is going to play and compete and I can't wait to see him and give him a big hug."
The key to winning back the cup, Woods believes, is how the Americans putt and how they play the final hole at the K Club.
"I think we won one match on the 18th two years ago," he said. "It's about how you putt and how you play the 18th. That one hole turns a lot of matches around. Europe did that at Oakland Hills and hopefully we can putt better and get those matches that go to the 18th."
Woods is in England for the World Match Play Championship starting at Wentworth tomorrow when he will face fellow American Shaun Micheel in the first round.
Meanwhile, Clarke and Thomas Bjorn will be playing partners in the Madrid Masters barely a week after the row over Europe's Ryder Cup wildcards.
Bjorn thought he should have been handed the second wildcard spot but lost out to Lee Westwood. And while the Dane had no qualms over Clarke's selection, he was furious at losing out to the Englishman.
Rory McIlroy (Holywood), Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) and Simon Ward (Co Louth) will represent Ireland in the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy at the De Zalze Golf Club and Stellenbosch Golf Club, near Cape Town, South Africa from 26th to 29th October. McIlroy, who is ranked fifth in the world amateur rankings with a handicap of plus 5.3, last month added the European Amateur Individual title to the West of Ireland and Irish Close titles he already won this year.
