Woods' ordinary showing at BMW Championship (won by Dustin Johnson) leaves him outside top 30 in FedEx Cup standings and ineligible for next week's Tour Championship. U.S. captain Corey Pavin says Woods isn't guaranteed to play in the maximum five Ryder Cup matches.
Tiger Woods after missing a birdie putt during today's final round of the BMW Championship.Lemont, Ill. -- For the first time in his career, Tiger Woods won't be playing a tournament because he's not invited.
Woods got off to a rugged start Sunday in the BMW Championship and shot 1-under 70, leaving too far back to get into the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings and qualify for the playoff finale at the Tour Championship.
It will be the third time in five years that Woods has not played the Tour Championship. He missed in 2006 when he cut his season short, and in 2008 while recovering from knee surgery. This time, he's not going to East Lake because he's not eligible.
His next tournament will be the Ryder Cup.
Woods played with Phil Mickelson, who shot 67. It was their 26th time playing in the same group, and their head-to-head record is now even -- 11-11-4.
London, England -- Tiger Woods is not guaranteed to play in the maximum five matches against Europe in next month's Ryder Cup.
The top-ranked Woods, chosen as one of U.S. captain Corey Pavin's four wild-card picks last week, will be playing in his sixth Ryder Cup but has only been on the winning side once, in 1999.
"I am going to treat every player the same. The objective is to try to win the Ryder Cup and if in my judgment I think Tiger is to play five matches, or should play four or three, then that is what I will do -- that's my call as captain," Pavin told BBC Radio on Sunday.
"For me, it's how he's playing golf. That's my concern as far as the Ryder Cup goes."
Woods, a 14-time major winner but without a tournament victory this year, has picked up 11 points from a possible 25 in the Ryder Cup. He has won three of his five singles matches but only seven of 20 matches in foursomes and fourballs, which are played in pairs on the opening two days. He also has two halves.
Woods was missing when the U.S. won back the trophy from Europe at Valhalla, N.Y., in 2008.
"Tiger told me he will do whatever is necessary to help the team win, and that is going to be my call, and I will probably be making that decision a little bit on the fly. But I'm not afraid to not play him every match, that's for sure," Pavin said.
"The objective is to win the match and that's what I'm going to be trying to do, whatever that takes."
The Ryder Cup will be played at Celtic Manor in Wales from Oct. 1-3.