Love him or hate him, America will be rooting for Tiger Woods in a few short weeks.
U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Corey Pavin announced his group for the upcoming tournament on Tuesday and shocked many in the golf world by naming Woods to the squad as one of four captain's picks.
Joining Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar, Pavin's four captain's picks were: Stuart Cink, Zach Johnson, Woods and Rickie Fowler.
Woods, a 14-time major champion and winner of 71 titles on the PGA Tour, will play in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2006. He is 10-13-2 in five appearances in the Ryder Cup and missed the 2008 contest at Valhalla in Kentucky due to knee surgery.
Fowler becomes the first rookie to be selected for a U.S. Ryder Cup team.
The U.S. Ryder Cup team that faces Europe Oct. 1-3 at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales. Four players — Overton, Watson, Johnson and Kuchar — will be playing in their first Ryder Cup, as the Americans go for the first win on foreign soil since 1993.
European captain Colin Montgomerie added Padraig Harrington, Edoardo Molinari and Luke Donald as his three captain's picks, who join Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher, Peter Hanson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Francesco Molinari.
The European captain believes that Pavin made the right picks.
"Like my European team, the American side has an excellent blend of youthful talent alongside some seasoned Ryder Cup campaigners, and I am delighted to see Tiger Woods amongst Corey's selections," Montgomerie told The Associated Press. "The Ryder Cup is a better event with him in it."
