JEJU, South Korea: US Open champion Gary Woodland admitted Tuesday he has only two weeks to convince Tiger Woods that he deserves a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup.
Despite winning his first major, Woodland missed out on automatic selection for the Ryder Cup-style event that will pit Team USA against the Internationals in Melbourne in December.
“I’ve talked to Tiger, I’ve spent a little time with him. He’s made it clear he wants the guys out playing and he wants guys playing well,” Woodland told AFP ahead of this week’s $9.75 million CJ Cup at Nine Bridges. “Unfortunately, I didn’t secure my own spot, so I’ve got to rely on a pick,” said the 35-year-old, who was runner-up a year ago at Nine Bridges to world number one Brooks Koepka.
Woodland will also play in the PGA Tour’s inaugural event in Japan next week, the $9.75 million Zozo Championship.
That is the second leg of a new three-week mega-money Far East swing with prize funds totalling $29.75 million, concluding with the $10.25 million HSBC-WGC Champions in Shanghai.