Tiger Woods posted five birdies on the back nine for the second day in a row Saturday afternoon at Medinah Country Club, but he still didn’t win. Woods and teammate Steve Stricker fell to 0-3 in this year’s Ryder Cup.
His loss Saturday, at the hands of Sergio Gracia and Luke Donald, came one day after he sat out a Ryder Cup session for the first time in his legendary career. Woods downplayed his benching, though.
“That was the plan going in,” he said. “I put so much effort into that last match (Friday) afternoon, and I was pretty spent,” he told the L.A. Times . “It was nice to get a little bit of rest. This is way different than Presidents Cup, when you have [play] over four days. Five matches in three days is a lot and, hey, I’m not young anymore.”
Despite Woods’ struggles, the Associated Press reports that the Americans lead Europe 10-6 and need only 4.5 points Sunday in singles to regain the cup. Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson are 3-0 in this year’s cup, leading the American team.
Woods and Stricker have been a force when together in match play, but not even a quick visit on the course with a former president was enough to spur them to a win. Former president George H.W. Bush stopped by to say hello and asked Woods how it was going. Woods responded to the 41st president that he ”needed to play better”
Tiger Woods is 13-17-2 in the Ryder Cup over his career.
