Lorie Kane has more than 20 appearances in the Canadian Women’s Open under her belt, and her heart is still in it.

This year the veteran LPGA professional is trying to build support for the tournament before taking her swings at the London Hunt and Country Club. Kane is working as an ambassador for the Open’s title sponsor, Canadian Pacific, to try to sell tickets with proceeds going to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of pediatric heart health.

Each $30 ticket sold before August 18, 2014 carries a $100 donation from Canadian Pacific, and with some of the best players in the world on display, Kane figures it’s an easy sell for golf fans and those who want to get into the sport.

“The London community and that part of Ontario is golf-crazy,” Kane said in a phone interview Tuesday morning. “The average fan can feel a part of something and know that by purchasing a ticket their money has gone to help not only run the tournament but also help with the funding of equipment and research and all kinds of things for kids with cardiac health.”

As of Tuesday, Kane said $470,000 had already been raised. She was optimistic that number was just the start with a few more days left in the “CP Ticket Rally for Heart.”

Beyond the fundraising, Kane knows what kind of effect this tournament can have on spectators, especially young ones with a future in golf. World No. 1 Stacy Lewis, defending champion Lydia Ko and 16-year-old Canadian amateur phenom Brooke Henderson are in the field, which also includes Canadians Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Alena Sharp, Jennifer Kirby and Sue Kim, among others.

“Let’s say a young family comes out to the golf course and mom and dad are keen to get their little girl into golf,” Kane said. “That might not be the thing that pushes them over the edge. The thing that will push them over the edge is that they make a connection to someone at this tournament, be it Paula Creamer, Brooke Henderson, Jen Kirby, myself, Lydia Ko – any of the young girls that are out there playing – that’s what drives you to the game, and that’s what will keep them in the game.”

Kane, a 49-year-old native of Charlottetown, has won four LPGA and four Legends Tour tournaments. She has never won the Canadian Women’s Open –  for years known as the du Maurier Classic – but neither has any Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa in the inaugural event in 1973.

In spite of that, Kane said this tournament makes a positive impact wherever it goes around the country. Part of the goal is that to entice more young women to play golf by having a high quality of competition on the course.

“Nothing is more important to me than growing the game within our country and keeping it strong,” Kane said. “It’s our national championship and we as Canadians, all of us that are in the field, look at it as that.

“For the spectators to come out and see an Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Jen Kirby – you get to cheer for your Canadians and see how they stack up against the rest of the world.”

The tournament is back in London for the first time since 2006 and the third time overall, after hosting it in 1993. Kane expects the crowd support to be even better than it was eight years ago.

“The product the LPGA Tour and the young women that are playing and the veteran ladies that will be there come with a passion for golf and a passion for growing the sport,” Kane said. “The LPGA is very strong and the show that we will put on in London in a week’s time will be one that nobody will want to miss.”

The 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open takes place August 18-24 at London Hunt & Country Club. Tickets are available here.

CALGARY — Junior golfers in southern Alberta will compete to win a chance to play inside the ropes with a Champions Tour professional, or local celebrity, at the inaugural nine-hole Junior Celebrity Pro-Am that will kick off the 2014 Shaw Charity Classic.

Junior golfers 18 years of age or younger are invited to visit the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, August 16, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, to participate in the Junior Shootout – a FREE par-3 closest-to-the-pin contest.

The top players in each age category will win a unique golf experience while playing the tournament course at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club with a number of Champions Tour professionals and Calgary celebrities, August 25.

The shootout will include five age categories including:

Ages 7-9 (closest-three players to pin win)
Ages 10-12 (closest four players – two girls, two boys – wins)
Ages 13-14 (closest four players – two girls, two boys – wins)
Ages 15-16 (closest four players – two girls, two boys – wins)
Ages 17-18 (top-three players)                       

For more information, please click here.

Tickets for the Shaw Charity Classic are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com. Youth 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

Junior golf talent is discovered in mysterious ways. Sometimes by nature, other times by chance, even sometimes by luck. But occasionally, golfing talent is discovered systematically – the way PGA of Canada professionals and industry experts planned all along.

Enter 17-year-old Jaclyn Lee, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad under the direction of coach Ann Carroll.

Lee, a Calgary native, grew up playing the game with her sister, mother and father – making a natural foursome. Her interest in the game led her to Two Eagles golf course in Kelowna, B.C. where she became a junior member at the age of twelve, playing every day of the summer with her family.

As the practicing and playing continued, Lee’s talent was noticed by many locals around the golf club.

“It’s funny, actually, I was encouraged by one of the course marshals who saw me play. He advised me to pursue the game further and that kind of gave me the confidence to take my game to the next level.”

Not long after, Lee was participating in club championships and junior tour events.

Eventually, her talents were on display nationally at the 2013 CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge. That year, Lee was one of the top four scorers for girls aged 15-18 to be invited to the national event at the Canadian Women’s Open, held at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton.

As you may have guessed, Lee captured the CN Future Links National Skills Challenge title that year. With the win, she gained a new sense of confidence and was labelled a top golfing prospect.

“It was definitely a huge confidence booster for me,” said Lee. “The CN Future Links Jr. Skills Challenge was a great experience – the testing of all aspects of my game really put some pressure on my abilities and identified what I needed to work on.”

Then came the accolades.

In 2013, Lee went on to win the Alberta Jr. Girls and the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. In 2014, as a member of Team Canada, she successfully defended both of those titles while adding the Alberta Amateur title. She dominated the field at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship, winning by 13 strokes and breaking the course record (67) in the process.

Most recently, Lee placed second at the American Junior Golf Association’s JoS. A Bank/David Leadbetter Junior Championship in Ellicott City, Md.

As far as the future goes, Lee intends to continue following the competitive pathway. Her sights are set on moving up to the National Amateur Squad and potentially the Young Pro squad down the road.

“I would love to be able to make the National Team and work with Tristan (Mullally),” said the future Ohio State University student. “I really want to see how far I can take my talents and even having the Young Pro squad as a possibility down the road gives me something to work towards.”

Although the future is never fully clear, it certainly looks like a bright one for Canada’s Jaclyn Lee.

Lydia Ko says it feels like she’s going home.

The New Zealander became the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour when she captured the Canadian Women’s Open at the age of 15 two summers ago.

Ko won again last year, and will headline the field for the 2014 tournament – now known as the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open – when it gets going later this month at London Hunt & Country Club.

“I love playing in Canada and the support I’ve been getting is huge,” the 17-year-old said on a conference call Monday. “To me, Canada feels quite close to what it’s like in New Zealand. It feels really welcoming whenever I go there.

“Having my first LPGA win in Canada, that’s huge and that’s always going to be with me. They always say the first is one of the most memorable and it’s definitely been the case.”

Tournament director Brent McLaughlin said the Canadian golf community has a strong connection to Ko because of the success she’s had the last two years.

“Any time you see young talents just excel you’re proud of them,” he said. “It’s even brought further to the forefront when you feel like you’ve had a part in helping them along.

“People need heroes. They need to rally around heroes and they need a reason to watch.”

Ko was an amateur and didn’t collect any winnings when she won her back-to-back Canadian Women’s Open championships at Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., and at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

She turned pro in October 2013 and has already won two tournaments this season, including the Marathon Classic last month.

“This year has been very exciting, first year on the tour as an LPGA rookie. It’s been a fun year. I’ve learned a lot of things along the way,” said Ko. “I really look forward to going back and playing the Canadian Women’s Open. The last two years, the Canadian Open was a very exciting tournament for me.”

While she’s happy with her decision to play on tour full time, Ko said dealing with the weekly grind has been an adjustment.

“I’ve been trying to balance life outside the course and not over doing it and taking some time off,” she said. “Outside the golf course I do the normal teenage things – watch TV, talk to my friends on Facebook.

“I think that kind of helps me to bring back my life outside of golf and outside of what I do most of the time, and actually be like a normal teenager and talk about school and gossip about things.”

Ko – who was named one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in April – is still adjusting to her fame, including being viewed as a role model.

“That’s pretty cool because I’m only 17 myself,” she said. “When I hear these little girls or boys say ‘You’re my role model and I look up to you’ it is kind of cool and it makes me feel like I need to become a better person, a better player so that I live up to what they expect of me.”

Ko is one of a number of big names set play at this year’s Canadian Open in London, Ont., from Aug. 18 to 24, but one player who won’t be taking part due to injury is Michelle Wie.

“She’s such an awesome player and it would have been great to have Michelle there because we all know that she brings a lot of the crowds out,” said Ko. “Hopefully the crowds will still come out. It’s really unfortunate that it happened during this time.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian contingent will be led by 16-year-old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who finished second at last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament in Glen Cove, N.Y.

Ko said there is a buzz on tour about playing in Canada, not only for the $US2.25-million purse, but because of how the tournament is received.

“When players talk to each other … they want to go and play and they’re super excited to play. They don’t want to miss out on it,” she said. “It’s been a great experience for me.”

The 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open takes place August 18-24 at London Hunt & Country Club. Tickets are available here.

OPELIKA, Ala. – The PGA Tour is headed to Alabama next year.

The new tournament will be played July 13-18, 2015, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika. Shaving product company Barbasol will sponsor the tournament for four years.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and PGA Tour officials announced the event Monday. Bentley said the tour will generate millions in tourism revenue for Alabama and put the state in the international spotlight as some of the world’s best golfers come to the state.

“I hope this is the start of a long relationship between Alabama and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the PGA,” Bentley said.

The Barbasol Championship, scheduled for the same weekend as the British Open, will become part of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup competition.

Grand National in Opelika is one of 11 facilities of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail throughout Alabama.

The PGA Championship, run by the PGA of America, was played at Shoal Creek in Birmingham in 1990.

“This is for four years. This is a big deal,” said David Bronner, chief executive officer of Retirement Systems of Alabama. The Retirement Systems developed the golf trail across Alabama.

The Alabama Tourism Department is providing $200,000 to help host the event.

OPELIKA, Ala. – The PGA Tour is headed to Alabama next year.

The new tournament will be played July 13-18, 2015, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika. Shaving product company Barbasol will sponsor the tournament for four years.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and PGA Tour officials announced the event Monday. Bentley said the tour will generate millions in tourism revenue for Alabama and put the state in the international spotlight as some of the world’s best golfers come to the state.

“I hope this is the start of a long relationship between Alabama and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the PGA,” Bentley said.

The Barbasol Championship, scheduled for the same weekend as the British Open, will become part of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup competition.

Grand National in Opelika is one of 11 facilities of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail throughout Alabama.

The PGA Championship, run by the PGA of America, was played at Shoal Creek in Birmingham in 1990.

“This is for four years. This is a big deal,” said David Bronner, chief executive officer of Retirement Systems of Alabama. The Retirement Systems developed the golf trail across Alabama.

The Alabama Tourism Department is providing $200,000 to help host the event.

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Jimmy Beck, Taylor Moore and British teenager Sam Horsfield shared the lead at 6-under-par after the first round of stroke play qualifying at the U.S. Amateur Championship on Monday.

Beck, from Columbus, Georgia, had a 65 on the Atlanta Athletic Club’s par-71 Highlands Course and Horsfield and Moore each shot 66 on the par-72 Riverside Course.

Lee McCoy of Clarkesville, Georgia, was one shot back after a 67 on Riverside. Tied for fifth at 4-under were Jonathan Garrick of Atherton, California, who shot 67 on Highlands, and Cameron Young of Scarsborough, New York, who had a 68 on Riverside.

The field of 312 players will be cut to 64 after Tuesday’s round. The format then switches to match play on Wednesday, leading up to the championship on Sunday.

Beck, a senior at Kennesaw State University, won the 2013 Georgia Amateur champion and finished second in the Georgia Open two weeks ago. He got off to a fast start Monday with birdies at Nos. 2 and 3 and finished with seven birdies and one bogey.

“I’ve been playing well coming into this and just to see putts fall, continue to fall and just hit it where you want to hit it, it’s a good feeling,” Beck said. “I was just really trying to have fun and end the summer right and what better way to do it than right here in Georgia.”

Moore, a junior at the University of Arkansas, also had seven birdies and one bogey.

“Shooting 66 puts me in a good spot,” Moore said. “I’ve got to stay aggressive, keep hitting greens and not let off the gas.”

Horsfield, 17, is playing in his second U.S. Amateur and has an impressive record in USGA events. He reached the semifinals at this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur and has made match play three times at the U.S. Public Links Championship.

“Hopefully I won’t have to worry about the cut,” Horsfield said after a round with six birdies and no bogeys. “Hopefully I can just go out there and play toward the center of the greens, don’t do anything stupid. I don’t have to fire at pins like I would if I was close to the cut line.”

The outcome was a surprise for McCoy, a junior at the University of Georgia, who was frustrated by his poor performance on the practice tee prior to the first round.

“I had probably the worst warmup session in my life this morning,” McCoy said. “Going to the first tee, I told my dad, `I’m hitting it sideways.’ I was hitting it so bad. I had a good swing thought on the first tee. Something kind of clicked and had a good tee ball and I kind of rolled from there, made a couple long putts I should have made.”

In danger of failing to advance to match play is world No. 1-ranked amateur Ollie Schniederjans of Powder Springs, Georgia. The Georgia Tech senior shot a 2-over 73 on Highlands and is tied for 106th. Second-ranked Robby Shelton of Wilmer, Alabama, is among 10 players tied for seventh at 3 under. Also in the group at 3 under are Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C.

The Highlands Course, which hosted the 1976 U.S. Open and three PGA Championships, played to an average of 74.6. The Riverside Course, site of the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open, played to an average of 74.9.

London, Ont. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific are pleased to announce the names of 16 players who have received exemptions into next week’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, set to take place at London Hunt and Country Club from August 18 – 24, 2014.

Headlining the list of exemptions is previously confirmed 16-year old Team Canada member Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fresh off her runner-up finish at this past weekend’s U.S. Women’s Amateur. Henderson, who earned her exemption by winning the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario stop in June, is currently the second ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). She won the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada last month in a season that includes a tie for 10^th at the US Women’s Open and the Jocelyn Bourassa Player of Year Award on the Canadian Women’s Tour. She will be making her third consecutive start in Canada’ National Women’s Open Golf Championship.

Two other Team Canada amateurs have also been offered exemptions including Jennifer Ha, 20, of Calgary, and Brittany Marchand, 21, of Orangeville, Ont. Currently ranked No. 68 on the WAGR, Ha will make her second appearance in the championship. The Kent State University student won the 2014 NCAA Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational and had runner-up finishes at both the 2014 Porter Cup and 2014 Alberta Ladies Amateur. Marchand, ranked No. 71 and a North Carolina State University student, will make her third appearance in the national championship.

Six Canadians competing on the Symetra Tour have also been granted exemptions including Brantford, Ont. native Nicole Vandermade, who won a Tour event earlier this year and sits no. 14 on the Symetra Tour Money List. A five year member of Canada’s National Amateur Team, Vandermade will be joined by LPGA members and fellow Team Canada graduates Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault, Que. and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que. and who sit 15^th and 19^th respectively on the Symetra Tour Money List. The trio will be joined by Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont., Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C. and Erica Rivard of Tecumseh, Ont. who sit 74^th, 98^th and 122^nd respectively on the Symetra Tour Money List.

Previously announced exemptions include Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. and Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. who joined Brooke Henderson in earning their spots through the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour. Piyapattra is exempt after winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Morningstar Golf and Country Club in Parksville, B.C. while Richdale and Feng received their exemptions based on the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

Among the international rising stars granted exemptions are English teen sensation Charley Hull and Stephanie Meadow of Northern Ireland. Hull is currently ranked No. 3 on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, while Meadow’s professional debut was a third place finish at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. Thailand’s Jutanugarn sisters Moriya and Ariya, winner of the 2012 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship) will also be competing.

The 16 players earning exemptions into Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship will join a world-class field at London Hunt and Country Club that includes two-time defending champion and Rolex Rankings no. 2 Lydia Ko, Rolex Rankings no. 1 Stacey Lewis, no. 3 Inbee Park, no. 6 Lexi Thompson and no. 12 Paula Creamer.

In addition to Ko, past Canadian Women’s Open champions confirmed to compete include Brittany Lincicome (2011), Suzann Pettersen (2009), Katherine Hull-Kirk (2008) and Cristie Kerr (2006) who won the event when it was last held at the London Hunt and Country Club. Previously confirmed past champion Michelle Wie (2010) withdrew from the event this past weekend due to a hand injury that will sideline her for three to five weeks.

The 10 Canucks offered exemptions will join a Canadian contingent that includes CP ambassador Lorie Kane as well as fellow LPGA Tour players Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C.

“The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is not only set to feature arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, but alsp the very best rising talents in Canadian and international golf,” said Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “Golf fans are sure to be treated to an unbelievable showcase of world-class golf.”

CP Ticket Rally for Heart…

As an added incentive, title sponsor CP has stepped up to encourage spectators to buy advance tickets to the event for the benefit of the Children’s Health Foundation in London Ontario. Through the CP Ticket Rally for Heart campaign, for every eligible ticket purchased to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open until August 17^th, 2014, Canadian Pacific will donate at least $100 per ticket to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of paediatric heart health programs.

“CP’s advance Ticket Rally for Heart program has already raised over $400,000 for Children’s Health Foundation but I know that London has it in them to raise pre-ticket sales in these final days,” added McLaughlin. “Purchase those spectator tickets early – you buy a ticket and CP donates $100 to support paediatric heart health at the Children’s Hospital. It’s that easy.”

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to London Hunt and Country Club for the first time since 2006.

On Monday August 18, 2014, the LPGA will conduct an 18-hole stroke play competition at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club to determine the four lowest qualifiers. Each of these qualifiers will receive exemptions directly into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Tickets for all tournament days of the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are still available with children aged 17 and under getting in free all week with a ticketed adult.

The first time the LPGA visited the London Hunt and Country Club was in 1993 when Brandie Burton defeated Betsy King on the first playoff hole in what was then called the du Maurier Classic.

Coincidentally, it was the first time I had been there, too, and to say I was impressed was an understatement.

Since then, being impressed when at this historic club has become a theme for anyone fortunate enough to enter the gates. Sure, it is a pleasure to play, but when you are there, as a player or spectator, for a major event, it is even more impressive.

I guess I should put “major” in quotation marks, as next week’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is just that, in everything but official status. Our national women’s Open was an LPGA major from 1979 to 2000. Despite the loss of that elite status, it continues to be one of the most prestigious championships on the women’s circuit.

When the LPGA returned to London Hunt in 2006, the atmosphere was fantastic. The aura definitely was that of a major. Crowds of upwards of 20,000 showed up every day to watch Cristie Kerr come from eight shots back starting the final round to edge Angela Stanford by a shot.

Next week’s championship will be the inaugural Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, as the railroad company takes over sponsorship from Canadian National without missing a beat. The US$2.25-million purse is among the largest on the LPGA Tour, matching this week’s Wegman’s LPGA Championship in fact. Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin said in a conference call Monday that not only the purse is exceptional, but so are the course conditions and the spectator experience opportunities.

At 17, LPGA rookie Lydia Ko has won our women’s Open the past two years, as an amateur, no less. She turned pro last October. This teen phenom was on Monday’s conference call as well, and raved about the overall experience, a feeling she says is shared by her colleagues on tour. She enthused over the course, the fans, and the superior tournament operations overall.

One of the most outstanding initiatives of this year’s championship is the Ticket Rally for Heart. For every ticket purchased before tournament week begins on Aug. 17, CP will donate $100 to the event’s official charity, the Children’s Health Foundation, which provides cardiac research and care of children from the London area and across southwestern Ontario.

“Our railroad recently announced our new North American-wide community investment program, CP Has Heart, and the Children’s Health Foundation is our ideal partner to improve children’s heart health,” Canadian Pacific CEO E. Hunter Harrison said in announcing the program.

On Monday, McLaughlin said the amount raised so far is nearing half a million dollars.

With just under a week to go, the goal of $750,000 is still attainable.

Now, that would be “major.”

(You can do your part by ordering your Canadian Pacific Women’s Open tickets before August 18th at www.cpwomensopen.com.)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – U.S. captain Tom Watson said he would be foolish not to consider Tiger Woods as one of his three wild-card selections, a decision that ultimately would be based on Woods’ words instead of his actions.

Watson has said all year he wanted Woods on his team if he were healthy and playing well. Even though Woods is injured and not playing for the next month, Watson wouldn’t rule him out Monday.

“I can’t assess his medical condition and I honestly can’t assess how he’s playing,” Watson said. “It really is going to be having to come from information from Tiger himself. But, again, I don’t make this comment loosely. He is Tiger Woods and he brings a lot to the team – if he has the ability to play and he’s healthy. He brings a lot to the team. And I’d be a fool not to consider him.”

Nine players qualified for the American team after the PGA Championship. Watson has three weeks before he announces his three captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup, which is Sept. 26-28 at Gleneagles in Scotland.

Woods’ season ended when he missed the cut by five shots at the PGA Championship, where he said he played through the pain of a nagging back injury. He is not playing the Wyndham Championship this week in North Carolina, and Woods is not eligible for the two FedEx Cup playoff events that will serve as an audition for Watson.

“I’ll be very, very focused on the players who are high up in the ranks,” Watson said.

As for Woods?

He made it sound as if he would have a telephone glued to his ear.

“I will continue to speak with Tiger over the next three weeks to monitor his situation,” Watson said. “Obviously, he has not been playing well. But I think it’s been a result, as you well know, of his injury and his coming back from back surgery.”

Woods has gone more than a year without winning, and this injury-filled year has been like no other. He played eight tournaments and completed 72 holes only three times. He missed two cuts, withdrew from the final round of two other tournaments and missed a 54-hole cut at Torrey Pines, where he is an eight-time winner. His best finish was a tie for 25th at Doral, where Woods played in the next-to-last group on Sunday and posted his highest score ever (78) in the final round.

He finished at No. 70 in the Ryder Cup standings.

Woods hurt his back again at Firestone, though he said it was unrelated to his microdiscectomy surgery in March. He said a trainer popped a joint back into place and he was pain free Wednesday at the PGA. He reported stiffness Thursday and his back “went out on me” while warming up for the second round.

Can he be trusted to be forthcoming with Watson?

“Absolutely,” Watson replied sternly, looking away to make his point.

The 64-year-old captain was asked if Woods’ might want to play so badly that he might tell Watson he is better than he really is.

“Again, I trust Tiger to give me the straight skinny,” Watson said. “I trust him inherently.”

It was difficult to read Watson’s plans for Woods – if any – on this Ryder Cup team because they have never been close. Paul Azinger, captain of the only U.S. team that won the Ryder Cup in the last 15 years, said over the weekend he would not pick Woods because he was injured, not playing well and didn’t know where the golf ball was going.

Watson made it sound as if he were leaning more on Woods’ past than the current state of his game, not to mention his health.

“He is Tiger Woods. He brings something to the team in a big way,” Watson said. “He’s been really good in the team room of recent and he’s a factor with the players. I know that for a fact. He’s a very positive influence on the players. But the most important thing is can he play? Can he physically play and is he playing well? Get back to those two points. Like I said, I’ll monitor that situation in the next three weeks.”

The American team already is missing Dustin Johnson, who has taken a “voluntary leave” for what he described as “personal challenges.” Matt Kuchar withdrew from the final major of the year with a back injury. Bubba Watson has finished in the top 10 only once in the four months since winning the Masters.

Tom Watson said he was happy with the nine players who made the team – Watson, Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Zach Johnson. For his picks, he said he wants players in good form and with guts.

“We have got players that can get the job done,” he said.