Woods said Tuesday he might play the HSBC World Match Play Championship in England next year for the first time since he lost in the finals to Mark O’Meara in 1998. The tournament is to be played Sept. 14-17, which is one week before the Ryder Cup in Ireland. The week after the Ryder Cup is the American Express Championship in London, and Woods is the defending champion.
“I’m looking at that right now,” Woods said. “I could do a three-week stint there. You don’t have to travel far.”
Woods played the week before the Ryder Cup the last time it was held in Europe. He won the American Express Championship at Mount Juliet in Ireland, then went on to The Belfry for the ’02 matches.
He caused a stir that week in Ireland when he said a World Golf Championship title was more important to him than winning the Ryder Cup. “Why? I can think of a million reasons,” Woods said, referring to the $1 million prize.
The World Match Play Championship has the richest payoff in golf, with more than $1.7 million going to the winner.