Woods: Ryder Cup not my priority

Tiger Woods made it plain and simple today – winning the Ryder Cup next week means less to him than claiming another world title and another million dollars this Sunday.

After taking the first-round lead in the American Express World Championship at Mount Juliet in Ireland, Woods was asked the straightforward question. Was it more important to him to win now or at The Belfry?

“Here this week,” said the world number one, and when asked to expand he stated: “I can think of a million reasons why.

“That’s not saying the Ryder Cup is not important, but it is a completely different animal.

“This is an individual effort. Next week is a team effort,” he continued.

“You can go out there and play absolutely lousy and the team can win, or you can play absolutely great, win all five matches and lose.

“Any time you get to play against the best players (49 of the world’s top 50 are at the County Kilkenny course) that’s the rush because we don’t get the chance to play against each other all the time.”

Woods, with a record of only three wins in 10 Ryder Cup games, added he would be surprised if most of the European side did not feel the same, but Darren Clarke for one has already said he craves success at The Belfry more and one suspects the majority are with him.

Nevertheless, with his sights set firmly on toppling one of the strongest fields ever gathered in golf and with his new set of irons working wonderfully well Woods began with a seven-under-par 65.

Birdies at the final two holes took him one ahead of fellow Americans David Toms – a team-mate next week – and Steve Lowery and two in front of a group which includes Worthing’s Gary Evans, the one player in the 65-man line-up never to have won a professional title.

Best of the seven members of Sam Torrance’s side was Swedish rookie Niclas Fasth with a 68 – and worst was Darren Clarke with a 75 that left him next to last.

After the shock wins for Kevin Sutherland and Craig Parry in the first two WGC tournaments this season, Woods returned normal service with a bogey-free display in which the only thing that let him down was his driving.