The US Ryder Cup team will be missing one of the nation's greatest golfers of all time when the action starts on Friday.
Tiger Woods is again not part of the 13-man team, extending the former world number one's absence from the competition to five years.
Captain Zach Johnson has, however, discussed the prospect of Woods exerting an influence on the team as they attempt to triumph in Europe for the first time since 1993.
Why isn't Woods playing? What is he up to now, and what is his Ryder Cup record? The Sporting News explains the state of play.
MORE: 2023 Ryder Cup sportsbook report
Why isn't Tiger Woods part of the 2023 US Ryder Cup team?
Woods' two tournament appearances so far this season mean he has played in a total of eight in the last three years.
The iconic veteran's inaction gave him no logical prospect qualifying for automatic selection or featuring as a captain's pick on the team.
Speaking in January, Johnson said he would only consider Woods for selection "if he was putting up some numbers and some scores" and "showing some sign of being competitive".
Woods tied for 45th at the Genesis Invitational in February and was forced out of the Masters two months later through injury.
He made a record-equalling 23rd consecutive cut at the major but was bottom of the leaderboard when he withdrew, having suffered visible discomfort.
Where is Tiger Woods?
Speaking before the start of the Ryder Cup in Rome, Johnson said Woods would not attend because he has "a lot on his plate".
That includes the announcement that he will create a new sports bar business with pop star Justin Timberlake, with the first outlet opening in New York.
"The idea for T-Squared Social came to us during a round of golf at Albany, our development in the Bahamas," Woods said of his collaboration with Timberlake.
"Justin and I thought it would be cool to create a place that combines our favorite things and brings people together to just have a great time."
Woods also recently acted as caddie for his 14-year-old son, Charlie, during the prospect's win at a regional qualifier tournament.
When was Tiger Woods' last tournament?
The sorry end Woods endured to his Masters campaign in April is the most recent tournament the 47-year-old took part in, although he remains influential off the course.
Johnson emphasized that Woods was unlikely to be involved in guiding the team from afar during the Ryder Cup but said he had played a part in preparations.
"He's always in our corner," said Johnson. "At this point, it's more encouragement on his side – whether he's texting the guys or texting the vice-captains and captains.
"He's there to encourage because he's very invested in what we do year-in and year-out with Team USA. That has never ceased, and I'm grateful for that."
Tiger Woods' Ryder Cup record
The Ryder Cup has been an underwhelming experience for Woods as a player, rarely reflecting his remarkable individual success in the sport.
The US have lost seven and won only one of the editions when Woods has been involved, with their superstar accumulating 13 wins, 21 losses and three halves.
| Year | Winners | Woods record (W-L-H) |
| 1997 | Europe (14.5-13.5) | 1-3-1 |
| 1999 | US (14.5-13.5) | 2-3-0 |
| 2002 | Europe (15.5-12.5) | 2-2-1 |
| 2004 | Europe (18.5-9.5) | 2-3-0 |
| 2006 | Europe (18.5-9.5) | 3-2 |
| 2010 | Europe (14.5-13.5) | 3-1 |
| 2012 | Europe (14.5-13.5) | 0-3-1 |
| 2018 | Europe (17.5-10.5) | 0-4-0 |
USA Ryder Cup team 2023
| Golfer | Position |
| Zach Johnson | Captain |
| Scottie Scheffler | Automatic qualifier |
| Wyndham Clark | Automatic qualifier |
| Brian Harman | Automatic qualifier |
| Patrick Cantlay | Automatic qualifier |
| Max Homa | Automatic qualifier |
| Xander Schauffele | Automatic qualifier |
| Brooks Koepka | Captain's pick |
| Jordan Spieth | Captain's pick |
| Rickie Fowler | Captain's pick |
| Collin Morikawa | Captain's pick |
| Justin Thomas | Captain's pick |
| Sam Burns | Captain's pick |
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler finished his PGA Tour season winning two events including the so-called "fifth major" on the tour's schedule, The Players' Championship. His inconsistent putting hindered him at times, but Scheffler still managed to log a whopping 17 top-10 finishes during the season despite his struggles with the short stick. The world's No. 1 golfer will look to build on his 2021 Ryder Cup performance, which saw him log a 2-0-1 record in three matches.
Wyndham Clark
Clark, like Scheffler, won two events during the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. That included his first career major win — a one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open. Clark improved his world golf ranking to 10th as a result of his strong play and he enters the Ryder Cup in good form, having logged a third-place finish at the Tour Championship, behind only Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele.
Brian Harman
Harman won the first major of his career in 2023. He ran away with The Open Championship, carding a six-stroke win by shooting 13 under at Royal Liverpool in July. Despite undergoing a shaky stretch in the middle of the season during which he missed eight cuts in 12 events, Harman managed seven top-10 finishes during the season. He also hasn't missed a cut since the Memorial Tournament in early June, so his steady play of late could provide Team USA with a nice lineup anchor.
MORE: What to know about Brian Harman, the PGA Tour veteran who dominated The Open
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay was one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour last season. He wasn't able to earn a victory, but he made 18 cuts in 20 events and logged an impressive eight top-five finishes. Cantlay played in the 2021 Ryder Cup and was the top scorer for Team USA, logging a 3-0-1 record to record 3.5 points in the competition. That experience will prove valuable for this team.
Max Homa
Homa got off to a red-hot start last season, winning the Fortinet Championship and the Farmers Insurance Open in his first six starts. The 32-year-old has cooled a bit since then, but he finished top-10 at each of the PGA Tour's three playoff events, including a ninth-place tie at the Tour Championship. He continues to be one of the best putters on the PGA Tour and coupling that with his above-average scrambling skills makes him a safe bet to produce in his Ryder Cup matches.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele clinched the final automatic qualifier bid for the Ryder Cup after his eighth-place finish at the BMW Championship. He followed that up with an impressive showing at the Tour Championship, during which he finished second and was the only player aside from Viktor Hovland to shoot better than 20-under par. Between his strong form of late and his consistency — he made the cut at 21 of his 22 events, with the only exception being his withdrawal at the Sentry Tournament of Champions — Schauffele could have a chance to be the best golfer on the USA squad.
Brooks Koepka
There was much debate about whether Koepka would be selected after falling out of the automatic qualifying bid for the Ryder Cup. The tournament had removed Henrik Stenson as Europe's captain following his defection for LIV Golf; would Koepka get the same treatment? The answer is no, as Johnson made the reigning PGA Championship winner one of his captain's picks. Koepka also finished second at the Masters and earned a win at LIV Golf Orlando, so he will get a chance to improve upon his 2-2 record at the 2021 Ryder Cup as a result.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth put together another turbulent season. He had a five-event stretch where he logged four top-five finishes — including a fourth-place tie at the Masters and a playoff loss at the RBC Heritage — but he followed that up by missing four cuts in six events. Thus is the nature of Spieth, but there's no denying that his brilliant game around the green gives him the upside needed to be a force for Team USA. Still, fans would feel better about his selection if not for a 27th-place finish at the Tour Championship out of 30 participants.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler enjoyed a terrific bounce-back season that saw him earn his first PGA Tour win since 2018 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The 34-year-old missed just two cuts all season and finished in the top 10 eight times. He has a well-rounded skill set but his approach game is among the best on the tour. Fowler's consistency and wealth of Ryder Cup experience — he participated in the event four times from 2010 to 2018 — made him an easy choice for Johnson.
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa hasn't won a PGA Tour event since taking home The Open title in 2021, but he put together a solid season. He posted three top-six finishes in his first five starts and logged a 10th-place finish at the Masters as well. Morikawa also came close to winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic before losing in a playoff to Fowler. USA fans should be encouraged by his 3-0-1 record at the 2021 Ryder Cup, a feat that was matched only by Cantlay. So, that combination of experience and upside made Morikawa a strong selection.
Justin Thomas
That Johnson chose Thomas for this event was something of a surprise. The 30-year-old had a difficult 2022-23 season, missing five of his last eight cuts and failing to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. His world golf ranking dropped to 26th because of his struggles of late. Thomas has spoken at length about his love for the Ryder Cup so that along with his 2-1-1 record in 2021 may have helped him to get into the field. Even still, it's somewhat surprising that he was chosen.
Sam Burns
Burns has been a bit volatile at times during the 2022-23 season as well, but he has shown his upside with five top-10 finishes and a ninth-place finish at the PGA Tour Championship. Burns has good length off the tee and is a very good putter, so if he can just be accurate from tee-to-green, the 27-year-old could emerge as a real weapon for Johnson and Co.
European Ryder Cup team 2023
| Golfer | Position |
| Luke Donald | Captain |
| Jon Rahm | Automatic qualifier |
| Rory McIlroy | Automatic qualifier |
| Viktor Hovland | Automatic qualifier |
| Tyrrell Hatton | Automatic qualifier |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | Automatic qualifier |
| Robert MacIntyre | Automatic qualifier |
| Tommy Fleetwood | Captain's pick |
| Sepp Straka | Captain's pick |
| Justin Rose | Captain's pick |
| Shane Lowry | Captain's pick |
| Nicolai Hojgaard | Captain's pick |
| Ludvig Aberg | Captain's pick |
Jon Rahm
Rahm started the season on a torrid pace, winning four of his first 10 events, including the Masters. That launched him to No. 1 in the world golf rankings. He has since slipped back to third, as he has struggled with his accuracy and consistency off the tee of late, but the Spaniard's power should put him in contention at Marco Simone, just as it did when he tied for second at The Open earlier this year.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy wasn't able to end his majors drought in 2023, but he finished top 10 at three of the four events. That included a solo second-place finish at the U.S. Open, one stroke behind winner Wyndham Clark. The Northern Irishman has two wins on the season, one at The CJ Cup and one at the Scottish Open. Each was by a stroke. McIlroy is the PGA Tour's most powerful driver, as he averages 326.3 yards with his big club, so he will look to use that to his advantage as he looks to atone for a 1-3 record at the 2021 Ryder Cup.
Viktor Hovland
Hovland is only 25, but he is already one of the best golfers in the world. He also will enter the Ryder Cup on a hot streak, having won both the BMW Championship and the PGA Tour Championship. The Norwegian has four wins on the season to date and didn't miss a cut in any of his 23 events. He has virtually no weaknesses in his well-rounded game so his consistency may make him the most threatening player on Team Europe.
Tyrrell Hatton
Hatton has only one PGA Tour win to his name but he proved to be a consistently solid golfer during the 2022-23 season. He missed just one cut in 20 events and posted seven top 10s in those outings. He finished no worse than 34th in each of the four majors during the campaign, too. Like Hovland, Hatton boasts a strong approach game that will make him a weapon in the Ryder Cup. His top-10 putter should be a major asset for the European squad as well.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick's tie for third at the European Masters allowed him to leapfrog Tommy Fleetwood in the Ryder Cup standings to become an automatic qualifier for the event. While the Englishman was a bit more up-and-down compared to his U.S. Open-winning campaign in 2022, Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage and logged five top-10 finishes during the 2022-23 season. That included a tie for 10th at the Masters and a second-place finish at the BMW Championship. Fitzpatrick usually boasts a strong iron game, but his scrambling skills and putter have been his biggest assets this year.
Robert MacIntyre
MacIntyre mostly competed on the DP World Tour during the 2022-23 season but he made waves with his second-place finish at the Scottish Open, which is also a PGA Tour event. Between the two tours, MacIntyre logged six top-10 finishes and that was enough to earn him an automatic berth in the Ryder Cup, where he will represent Scotland.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood just missed out on an automatic qualifying bid, but he was an easy captain's choice for Donald. The 32-year-old is the 14th-ranked golfer in the world and had nine top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season. "Fairway Jesus" has a reputation as one of the most accurate players on the PGA Tour, and his ability to hit fairways, make greens in regulation and drain putts give him high upside at this event.
Sepp Straka
Straka was another easy pick for Donald. The Austrian star put together an excellent season, earning a win at the John Deere Classic, a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship and tying for second at The Open with an impressive 7-under score. The 30-year-old can be streaky at times, but his top-20 approach game and strong accuracy off the tee give him a high ceiling in this competition.
Justin Rose
Rose has endured a bumpy stretch of late, but he was still a shoo-in captain's pick. The 43-year-old earned a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier in the season and logged top-20 finishes at The Players' Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship during a strong run early in the season. Rose will provide the Ryder Cup team with experience, as this will be his sixth time participating in the event since 2008. He has averaged 2.8 points per appearance during his career.
Shane Lowry
Lowry was another fairly simple pick for Donald. The Irishman won The Open in 2019, earned Ryder Cup experience in 2021 and has put together a solid season on the PGA Tour. Lowry didn't make the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he missed just three cuts while finishing top-20 at The Masters, the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. Lowry's tee-to-green accuracy is his biggest asset; if his putter shows up, he may be able to improve on his 1-2 Ryder Cup record from 2021.
Nicolai Hojgaard
Donald's final two captain's picks were considered to be wide-open, but he ultimately chose to go young with them. Hojgaard is just 22 and split his seasons between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. He made the cut in 19 of 23 events and logged eight top-10 finishes, including a tie for fifth at the European Masters. Hojgaard's upside is undeniable, so getting the young Dane some experience in the Ryder Cup now could prove beneficial to Europe's chances of winning it down the line.
Ludvig Aberg
Aberg played his way onto the European team by winning the European Masters and showing well in the PGA Tour events he played after graduating from Texas Tech. The Swede is just 23 but showed no signs of a learning curve on golf's biggest stage. He missed just one cut in 12 events between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and tied for fourth at the John Deere Classic. He made need to work on his consistency through four rounds, but as a future face of the Ryder Cup team, getting him experience now makes a lot of sense.