Team USA Presidents Cup golf captain Tiger Woods will travel to Melbourne during the next two months to undertake a reconnaissance missions at Royal Melbourne.
Although Woods won’t tee up a ball in competition, the 14-time major winner will make his first trip to Australia in seven years on 5-6 December.
Woods, who capped his latest injury comeback with victory at the Tour Championship, will dash from his foundation’s unofficial US PGA Tour event in the Bahamas to Melbourne – where he will also take part in promotional activities to mark one year out from the 2019 edition of the biennial teams event.
Woods’ last appearance in Australia came in 2011, when he held the 36-hole lead at the Australian Open in Sydney prior to playing on the American team’s 19-15 victory over the Internationals at the 2011 Presidents Cup, also at Royal Melbourne.
Australian fans will be hoping to see Woods next year become just the second playing captain for the US team in the tournament’s history.
A fit Woods, who played on the American team at the recent Ryder Cup in Paris, has given every indication he can pull it off after a 2018 season highlighted by a win, two runner-ups and seven top 10s for $5 443 841 in prizemoney.
But the 42-year-old is remaining tight-lipped on his chances.
‘We’re a long way from having to make a decision whether I’ll play or not; it’s still over a year away,’ Woods told AAP on Friday.
‘(But) the Sandbelt courses in Australia are some of the best in the world, and some of my favourite to play.
‘I have great memories playing there, and I look forward to returning.’
