Tiger Woods may have to rely on a captains pick from skipper Jim Furyk in order to make America’s 2018 Ryder Cup team, with the eagerly anticipated battle against Europe now just over a month away.
Four American players have already booked their spots in France, meaning there are four automatic picks still up for grabs ahead of Monday's deadline, although Woods - ranked 20th prior to this week’s 100th PGA Championship - is 2,000 points behind Webb Simpson in 8th and he is in real danger on missing out, unless he conjures up something special in Missouri.
On Thursday Woods managed to card a level-par 70 in the opening round of the PGA Championships at Bellerive Country Club, as he clawed himself back from a shocking start. The frustrated 14-time major winner found himself three over par through only two holes, following a bogey on his first, which was instantly followed by a double bogey on the second when he found the drink.
“I could have easily gone the other way, being 3 over through two, “said Woods.
“A lot of things could happen. Not a lot of them were positive, but I hung in there and turned it around.”
As a result Woods is currently down in T48, six shots adrift of the early frontrunner Gary Woodland (-6), ahead of his second round on Friday, which sees him tee off at 7.48pm (BST) alongside defending champion Justin Thomas (-1) and Rory McIlroy, who like rival Woods is level par after the first round.
Woods will look to make a move today, but an underwhelming round could see him miss the cut at the PGA Championships for the third time in his last three appearances in the major - since 2013 his best place finish in the tournament is T40.
Should Woods subsequently miss out on an automatic pick - he’s been asked to be a vice-captain - he’s more than likely to still be present at Le Golf National as a captain’s pick, but is he worth the gamble?
Woods has not won the competition in a playing capacity in 10 years dating back to America's win in Kentucky, with that only his second success in seven showings. In total he’s won 13 of his 33 matches, but lost 17, while three have been halved. His record in the team formats of foursomes and four-balls is very poor by his standards, although he has won the majority of his singles, four of seven.
