Tiger unfazed by Ryder record

THOSE who suspect Tiger Woods may not be the consummate team player will be interested by his comments yesterday as he continued his preparation for the $5.5m American Express World Championship at Mount Juliet.

He went so far as to claim his Ryder Cup record (a distinctly moderate won 3, halved 1, lost 6) didn't worry him and pointed out: "Sometimes I've played well and been beaten. Other times I've played poorly and still been beaten. As you know, anything can happen in matchplay, especially over 18 holes, and the Ryder Cup is a big reflection of that.

You also suspect it's not the format that makes Woods less than enthusiastic about the Ryder Cup. He clearly detests the social side of the event and would much prefer to steer clear of it all. Furthermore, he ceases to be his own man once he boards the plane on Sunday night for The Belfry and will have to do exactly what his captain Curtis Strange and protocol demand.