Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson tells Sports Illustrated that Tiger Woods is a lock for the team provided he's healthy enough to play.
"I've said it before that he's an automatic pick," said Watson. "You can't have a player of that caliber not on the team. But that has to be weighed next to what his health is. I hope he can get back in the swing, because he wasn't playing his best even before the surgery. But if he's not physically right, Tiger will be the first one to tell me."
Tiger to return for British Open?
Woods underwent back surgery in April, forcing him to miss The Masters for the first time in two decades and he has already announced he will not be playing at the upcoming U.S. Open. In fact, the world's best known golfer recently insisted he doesn't have a timetable for his return, though he has resumed hitting some practice shots.
Watson previously refused to answer the question of if he would make Woods an automatic selection if he isn't able to play enough this season to show his game has rounded back into form.
"I'm not going to answer that," he said. "Tiger I hope just basically gets well and starts playing well again. If he gets well and is playing well, I'll pick him. But, I don't know. I can't answer that."
With 14 majors under his belt, Woods still trials Jack Nicklaus' 18 by just four for the all-time record.
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