McIlroy may regret Woods comments

With the start of the Ryder Cup just days away now Golf Monthly take a look at what Team USA have been saying ahead of the clash at Celtic Manor on Friday

Team USA ahead of the start of The Ryder Cup

Corey Pavin

"Well, I like the way Team USA is playing right now. I think there's a lot of guys that have been playing well, and that's always a good thing. Any captain is going to want his players to be up on their game, but then again, anything can happen during a week of golf. Things can change quickly."

"I think other people have said things like that to Tiger in the past [Rory McIlroy saying he would like to play Tiger Woods in the singles] and have maybe regretted it. I think anything that gets players fired up is always a positive thing for that player who is getting fired up. I'm sure that well, I know that Tiger is aware of the comment. If they do play against each other, I think it would be quite entertaining."

Jim Furyk

"There's no doubt the European fans are wonderful fans for their team. They were outnumbered 20 to 1 in Kentucky, and they made a ton of noise."

"The Europeans that shoot about 8 under. Those will be the toughest to play."    Dustin Johnson   "I'm going to play my game. I don't change my game for anything."     "Me and Phil play a lot of practice round together already. We like playing with each other. We get along very well. We are good buddies."

Tiger Woods

"Well, obviously it's always exciting to make the team. I got a taste of it in '97; that was my first time on the team. It's just so neat to be a part of a team, and quite frankly, we don't get to do it very often."   Stewart Cink

"Tom Lehman, when he was captain told his team before we went over there. "Guys, it's really special to be on a Ryder Cup Team. You've made the team and you will experience a lot of great stuff this week. But it's an even more valuable memory to be a member of a winning Ryder Cup Team."

Hunter Mahan

"If there's someone I don't want to play with, it's usually because their game is so different to mine that it just doesn't make sense. Bubba [Watson] would be a good example, we just have totally different games; it just wouldn't make sense to."

"Phil [Mickelson] talks the whole time. I mean that he just doesn't stop. Even when he's sleeping I think he still talks."

Steve Stricker

[about Tiger Woods] "I think we have got a good chemistry. I think we gel nicely together. I think our games complement each other's nicely. We do a lot of the similar things. Although he does extraordinary things, and I kind of just do normal things."

"Bubba [Waton] is a character. He's probably the Boo Weekley of this team."

Zach Johnson

"Sunday's match [in 2006] against Darren Clarke, I'll never forget it. It was so loud and long, and rightfully so. One, for him to compete there; two, with everything that happened to that point with his family; and then to compete as well as he did there it was inspiring."

Thomas Patrick Clarke
Sports Digital Editor


Tom Clarke joined Golf Monthly as a sub editor in 2009 being promoted to content editor in 2012 and then senior content editor in 2014, before becoming Sports Digital Editor for the Sport Vertical within Future in 2022. Tom currently looks after all the digital products that Golf Monthly produce including Strategy and Content Planning for the website and social media - Tom also assists the Cycling, Football, Rugby and Marine titles at Future. Tom plays off 16 and lists Augusta National (name drop), Old Head and Le Touessrok as the favourite courses he has played. Tom is an avid viewer of all golf content with a particularly in depth knowledge of the pro tour.