Nicklaus offers Pavin sharp advice

EUROPEAN TOUR:WHEN JACK Nicklaus talks about golf and the brain, the world sits up to take note from the 18-time major winner.

But one wonders what US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin would make of Nicklaus’s assertion here yesterday that Pavin would “need a brain scan” if he left Tiger Woods out of the side to take on Europe at Celtic Manor in October.

The top eight in the US Ryder Cup list qualify, and if the American side were finalised today, 11th-ranked Woods would need one of Pavin’s four wildcards.

But the 1995 US Open champion insists Woods is not guaranteed a place in his team at any cost, which tickled Nicklaus no end.

“I’m not going to treat Tiger any different than any other player,” Pavin said after the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday. “He’s certainly not going to be an automatic pick. He’s just going to be treated like everyone else. I’d love to have him on the team, but I want him to be playing well.”

Nicklaus, who celebrated his 70th birthday in January, reckons leaving Woods out of the side would give a whole new meaning to the term “no brainer”.

“He’d (Pavin) need a brain scan if he left Tiger out of the team,” Nicklaus told local reporters at the unveiling of a project to design two courses at the exclusive La Moraleja, 10 miles from the venue for this week’s Madrid Masters, the Real Sociedad Hípica Club de Campo.

“Of course he should pick Tiger. The truth is that Tiger is going through some personal problems, which I’ve nothing to say about, and he’s also got some problems with his game, which he’s going to have to resolve himself. But Tiger will be in the team, I have no doubt.”

Whether Sergio Garcia is in the 12-man European line-up to be named by Colin Montgomerie on August 29th remains to be seen.

One of the headline acts in a Madrid Masters field that also features Luke Donald, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Martin Kaymer and Ireland’s Graeme McDowell – US Open qualifier Gareth Maybin withdrew yesterday citing a wrist twinge – the Spaniard insisted that he would turn down a wildcard if he were offered one today.

“Right now there are other players who would be more of a help to the Ryder Cup team than I am,” Garcia said.

“Fortunately for me and others, there are still a few months to go before team is finalised.”

Just 14 months ago, Garcia was ranked second in the world and plotting to overtake Woods at the top of the rankings. Now he’s 32nd and so lacking in confidence that he’s prepared to wait as long as it takes for his game to return.

“Whether that’s this week, next year or in three years’ time, that’s fine. You just have to let things run their course,” said Garcia.

Despite painful major championship defeats at the hands of Pádraig Harrington in Carnoustie and Oakland Hills, Garcia continued to play brilliantly. But his game fell apart when his relationship with Greg Norman’s daughter, Morgan Leigh, ended in March last year.

“It happened for a series of things that don’t even need to be said at this stage,” Garcia said of his slump. “Things that happened on and off the golf course didn’t help, and little by little you lose a little bit of confidence.

“The important thing is to have desire and slowly you get back to where you belong.”

Currently 17th in both the world points and European points lists, Garcia knows he must start to produce some decent golf soon if he is to win his sixth Ryder Cup cap on merit.

“I’d only be comfortable taking a wildcard if I felt I could help the team. If don’t feel I could help the team and the captain called to say he was thinking of picking me, I’d say: ‘Listen Colin, thanks very much for thinking of me but I think there are other players that would be more of a help to the team’.

“I’m not saying I don’t want to play in the Ryder Cup, obviously I want to be there 100 per cent.

“But if I don’t deserve to be there, I won’t mind, and I will cheer the team on like any other golf fan.”

Woods back for Memorial next week

TIGER WOODS will return to competition at next week's Memorial Tournament after a lay-off due to a neck injury, according to television reports.

The world number one withdrew from the final round of the Players Championship on May 9th due to the injury.

Woods will return to action at the Muirfield Village course in Dublin, Ohio, where he has captured four titles and is the defending champion of the tournament, hosted by Jack Nicklaus.