Tiger Woods, PIF and thunderstorms cause mayhem in buildup to US PGA
On one of the more chaotic days in the run-up to a major championship, thunderstorms disrupted practice sessions, interviews were canceled and then reinstated. Tiger Woods said he may not have time to become Ryder Cup captain and shocking news emerged that Rory McIlroy has filed for divorce. If this is a sign of things to come, Valhalla and the 106th staging of the US PGA Championship could be quite a spectacle.
Weather disruption was a theme when McIlroy won this event at Valhalla in 2014, his last major success. The threat of electrical storms forced play to be halted shortly before 10am on Tuesday, while pre-event media conferences were scrapped for the rest of the day. The forecast for the rest of this week calls for even more bad conditions, which are sure to cause unrest within the PGA of America hierarchy.
A break in conditions allowed players to return to the court and players like Woods to face the media. Then came news that McIlroy had filed court papers in Florida on Monday, aiming to end his seven-year marriage to Erica Stoll. A spokesperson for world No. 2 stressed his desire “to ensure that this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible”.
McIlroy has said he will make no further comment on the matter, but that will be put to the test immediately; he will hold a media conference in Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon. McIlroy arrived in Valhalla with back-to-back wins on the PGA Tour, including Sunday in dominant style in Charlotte.
The PGA of America has been keen for some time to insist that Woods will lead the US at Bethpage next September. However, the 15-time Major winner has refused to commit himself fully to Ryder Cup captaincy despite a series of encounters. As a board member of the PGA Tour, Woods is heavily involved in conversations aimed at potentially unifying elite golf. The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) remains keen to strike a deal that would see the rebel LIV Tour join the established bodies to some extent.
“We’re still talking,” Woods said of the Ryder Cup scenario. “Nothing has been confirmed yet. We’re still working on what that might look like. And whether or not I have time for it.
“I spend so much time on what we do with the PGA Tour that I don’t want to step into the role of captain if I can’t do it. What that all entails, representing team USA and the obligations to the PGA of America, the players and the fans, I have to feel like I can give the amount of time it deserves. That said, the clock is ticking; Luke Donald was confirmed as Europe captain for the New York defense last November.
Skepticism surrounding the likelihood of an agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF increased on Monday when influential businessman Jimmy Dunne resigned from the Tour’s policy board. Dunne claimed his role had become ‘redundant’ and complained about a lack of ‘meaningful progress’. In a letter to Tour members, Dunne said: “Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and mending wounds left over from a broken game.”
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Woods admitted he was surprised Dunne left. “We are working on negotiations with PIF,” Woods said. “It’s ongoing, it’s fluid, it changes from day to day. Has progress been made? Yes. But it’s an ongoing negotiation, so there’s a lot of work for all of us to do with this process. We are making steps and they may not be gigantic steps, but we are making steps.”
Despite multiple injury setbacks, Woods generally remains optimistic about his prospects on the road. He crossed the finish line at the Masters last month, but finished in 60th place. “I still feel like I can win golf tournaments,” the 48-year-old said. “I still feel like I can hit the shots and I still feel like I can still get my hand on the greens and putt. I just have to do it all four days, not like I only did two days at Augusta.”