Sports

Woods apologizes to rookies for lackluster Ryder Cup

Tiger Woods felt so bad about his performance at last month’s Ryder Cup, he apologized to the Americans’ four Ryder Cup rookies, it was reported on Golf Channel yesterday.

Golf World’s Tim Rosaforte said Woods, after going 0-3-1 in the biennial matches against Europe at Medinah, sought out Brandt Snedeker, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Jason Dufner to tell them he was sorry “for not getting the points he needed to get to get a U.S. victory.’’

“I had an opportunity to earn three points in team sessions and didn’t do that,’’ said Woods, who is in Belek, Turkey, this week to compete in the $5.3 million Turkish Airways World Golf Finals, an eight-player event that includes Rory McIlroy. The match-play event begins today and ends Friday.

“My point [in the singles] didn’t matter when all was said and done,’’ Woods said. “Steve Stricker and I were sent out to win points and we didn’t do it. That was frustrating.’’

Woods, 36, went 0-3 in team play with Stricker (0-4 overall) and saw his overall Ryder Cup record drop to 13-17-3.

“It has been difficult, there is no doubt,’’ said Woods, who tied Raymond Floyd for the U.S. record for most losses in foursomes (8). “We held a great lead and couldn’t manage to win from a perfect position going into Sunday. That was tough. Some guys were pretty bummed out by what happened. We had guys out early on Sunday to get points and that didn’t happen. It was then left to us at the back, but it came down to the situation where my point didn’t matter. It was a tough situation, no doubt.’’

Woods, who has played on seven U.S. Ryder Cup teams, disputed the long-held notion that the Americans don’t care enough about the Ryder Cup.

“That’s because you weren’t in the team room, you weren’t on the team,’’ said Woods. “It has been the same since I first played in 1997. That hasn’t changed. We have always been a great team unit. No loss feels good, whether that is in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.’’Woods also said he hopes to captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team someday, but plans to play in a few more before that happens.

“One day that would be fantastic and a huge honor to be a captain of a Ryder Cup team, but hopefully it doesn’t happen in the near future,” he said. “I still want to be playing on a lot more teams but certainly one day, when my golfing life is slowing down and when it’s over, that would be a huge honor.’’

In addition to Woods and McIlroy, the Turkish event includes Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel and Hunter Mahan. The $5.3 million prize fund includes $1.5 million for the winner and $300,000 for the last-place finisher.

In today’s matches, McIlroy faces Kuchar, Westwood faces Simpson, Rose takes on Mahan and Woods battles Schwartzel.