TNT Sports
Big guns join Ryder trip
By
Published 25/08/2006 at 07:16 GMT+1
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have rearranged commitments with sponsors and will join the rest of the U.S. Ryder Cup team on a trip to the K Club in Ireland next week. Tom Lehman will take his team on a two-day reconnaissance of the Ryder Cup venue after this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
"We're all going there as a team to hang out, relax and play a little golf," world number one Woods told reporters after firing a three-under-par 67 in Thursday's opening round at Firestone.
"Most of the guys haven't played the golf course very much and maybe I can help out and pass on a few titbits that I've learned over the years of playing there."
Woods has been a regular visitor to the K Club, playing practice rounds there along with a bit of fishing in his build-up to British Opens.
When Lehman initially planned the Ireland trip, Woods and Mickelson were the only likely absentees because of previous commitments.
"I've seen the K Club enough, but I just wanted to be with the guys because we are going as a team," Woods added.
Lehman, attempting to end a run of four European victories in the last five Ryder Cup matches, has made the U.S. team's unity a priority for the Sept. 22-24 showdown.
"I would say the one thing I'm most excited about is our guys are already together," he said. "They've been aiming for this for two years.
"It's now really a simple case of the eight guys who have been there before, who have been parts of Ryder Cup teams and Presidents Cup teams, embracing the four guys who haven't and making them feel comfortable."
The four rookies on Lehman's team are Vaughn Taylor, J.J. Henry, Zach Johnson and Brett Wetterich.
Lehman and company are scheduled to depart for Ireland from Cleveland on Sunday night before returning on Wednesday morning for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston.
"We'll get a lot of things accomplished and our practices will mean something," Lehman said. "They are not going to be out there just knocking balls around."
Advertisement
Advertisement