Presidents Cup more enjoyable than Ryder Cup, says Tiger

SHANGHAI—Tiger Woods said Saturday he preferred playing in the Presidents Cup to the Ryder Cup because there was more sportsmanship and the players knew each other better.
Asked whether he enjoyed the Presidents Cup more than golf’s premier biennial team event, he said: “Probably, because we’re all good friends and you see more concessions and more sportsmanship and good sportsmanship.”
The majority of the Internationals squad of non-European players play their trade in the United States unlike the European Ryder Cup team members. “The Presidents Cup is a lot more enjoyable because of that, because of how the sportsmanship is conducted. “That’s the nature of why both tournaments were started, and unfortunately the Ryder Cup got a little sidetracked,” the 10-time major winner said. Asked if he had seen bad sportsmanship in the matches he has played since his Ryder Cup debut in 1997, he replied: “How about gamesmanship.” The 29-year-old, who was speaking after moving to within one shot of the lead after the third round of the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, declined to cite any examples.
The Ryder Cup began in 1927 between US and British teams and grew in stature in 1979 when the rivalry expanded to become a US-Europe showdown. Europeans are 6-3 with one drawn against US teams in the past 20 years. The 1991 Kiawah Island edition, where the US men won after a worst-ever run of two losses and a draw, was dubbed “War by the Shore” while the 1999 Ryder Cup was marred by the US team’s premature celebrations.
Last month American Chris DiMarco was forced to clarify his remarks that all the media scrutiny at last year’s Ryder Cup had made it a “hateful” event. His remarks prompted Ryder Cup member Lee Westwood of England to say: “If there is hatred, it’s not from our side so it must be from theirs. “Mind you, how DiMarco, a veteran of precisely one Ryder Cup, can say what he said is beyond me.”—Agencies
Answering a question, he said, as a coach he is not under pressure as far as the performance of the team is concerned in the Champions Trophy as he is fully committed to his job and doing his best to mould the side in a winning combination.—APP