Tiger Woods has not appeared at a golf event since the Feb. 23 car crash that put him in the hospital for several weeks. There’s hope that will change before the end of the year, even if the golfer isn’t competing.

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker wants Woods to be one of the team’s vice captains. The event, which was delayed for a year because of the pandemic, is scheduled for Sept. 24 to 26 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Stricker doesn’t know if Woods will be able to attend, but he said the 15-time major champion would like to be at the event if his recovery allows it.

“I’ve talked to him; I don't know if we are there yet to commit to him being there,” Stricker told reporters ahead of this week’s PGA Championship. “He’s still got a lot going on, and his spirits are great, though, as of late. We were on a Zoom call with him just last week, and he seems like he’s in a better place. He’s still got some ways to go.”

The updates on Woods’ condition have been few and far between. The 45-year-old underwent emergency surgery on his right leg after the car accident, and his injuries are viewed as career-threatening. On March 16, Woods announced that had left the hospital and was recovering at home.

It’s unknown if or when Woods might golf competitively again.

“I’d love to have him there. Who wouldn’t, right?” Stricker said. “The guys really respect him, and he did a great job as [Presidents Cup] captain [in 2019], and he was an assistant of mine in 2017 [at the Presidents Cup] and he was unbelievable. He would do anything for you, and he’s totally, totally vested in the situation and the process, almost to the point of, he's on it early and so much, it's like, ‘Dude, we’ve still got months to go yet.’ He’s really good at being an assistant, and I’d love to have him be there if it's at all possible.”

Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Davis Love III were named vice captains for the U.S. team. Woods was supposed to be a vice captain for the last Ryder Cup, but he ended up golfing for the team, instead.

The European team has defeated the U.S. in seven of the last nine Ryder Cups.

Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament to claim his 15th major championship. In this picture, Woods of the United States reacts on the 17th green during the first round of The Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, March 14, 2019. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
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