Rory McIlroy hopes Tiger Woods can return home next week and revealed the 15-time major winner had given him "heat" from his hospital bed after he failed to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Woods has been recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after he suffered serious injuries to both of his legs in a car crash last month.
The American's car rolled several hundred feet in a single-vehicle accident that he was considered to be very fortunate to survive.
Woods underwent a long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle, but is on the mend and McIlroy says the legendary 45-year-old may be discharged from hospital in the near future.
The former world number one told The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: "Hopefully we see him back out here on Tour soon.
"I've spoken to him a little bit. He's doing better, and I think all the guys have reached out to him.
"Hopefully, if things go well over the next week or so, he might be able to get home and start his recovery at home, which will be great for him to see his kids, see his family.
"I just think all of us are wishing him a speedy recovery at this point."
McIlroy says Woods had been in touch with him before and after the Northern Irishman missed an opportunity to secure victory at Bay Hill on Sunday, with Bryson DeChambeau crowned champion.
The five-time major champion, who found the water twice at the sixth hole in his final round, said: "He texted me some words of encouragement before the final round at Bay Hill on Sunday, and things didn't quite go to plan.
"But Tiger was the first one to text me afterwards and be like 'What's going on here?' So even from the hospital bed he's still giving me some heat!"
Viktor Hovland aces par-four fifth as Europe’s players prepare for the Ryder Cup
Norway’s Viktor Hovland warmed up for Friday’s start of the Ryder Cup by holing his tee shot at the par-four fifth hole at Marco Simone in Rome.
Unfortunately for the world number four it was only a practice round and it was his second attempt at going for the green on the 300-plus yard hole which is guarded by water.
The 24-year-old had fanned his first attempt pin-high into the right rough and reloaded with his three-wood and landed the ball on the green.
He turned away to walk back to his bag only to see the ball roll into the hole followed by loud cheers, him tossing his club away, playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick jumping on his back and fellow team-mate Tyrrell Hatton struggling to contain his laughter.
This is your time – Luke Donald drives Europe with emotion ahead of Ryder Cup
On the outskirts of the Eternal City, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has a simple message for his players: This is your time.
It is written, in their native language, on the wall in their personal area in the team’s dressing room, which also features a space dedicated to the late Seve Ballesteros – Europe’s long-time talisman in the biennial contest.
On their way to the first tee at Marco Simone, the last thing the players will see is a large image of Ballesteros, designed by local art students, bearing the Italian phrase: “Per sempre nei nostri cuori” – Forever in our hearts.
Donald has unashamedly cranked up the emotion in the build-up to Europe’s attempt to regain the Ryder Cup, bringing his players to tears with messages from family and friends and in Rory McIlroy’s case his caddie, Harry Diamond.
“Previous Ryder Cups we’ve gone pretty light-hearted at the start of the week and then we get hit with an emotional bomb before we go play Friday,” McIlroy said.
“It’s a little different this year. It flipped a little bit and I think that was part of Luke’s plan and strategy.”
McIlroy, of course, was famously emotional at the end of the previous Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, the four-time major winner feeling he had let his team down by suffering three heavy defeats before beating Xander Schauffele in the opening singles.
“I just can’t wait to get another shot at this,” McIlroy said in between sobs and, after a tumultuous two years in men’s professional golf, he will finally get his wish.
Joining LIV Golf in June 2022 and subsequently resigning from the DP World Tour meant that Ryder Cup stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood were ineligible for Donald’s team, although whether the ageing trio would have qualified or been selected anyway is up for debate.
US players remained eligible through membership of the PGA of America, but captain Zach Johnson made it clear he had zero interest in performances in the LIV Golf League and only US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka was selected after narrowly failing to qualify.
That meant no place for the likes of Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, who garnered seven and a half points from eight matches in 2021, yet the visiting team can still boast three of this year’s major winners, six of the world’s top 10 and all 12 players ranked inside the top 25.
Europe have five players outside the top 30, including three of their four rookies, but can call on the world numbers two, three and four in McIlroy, Masters champion Jon Rahm and FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland.
They also have home advantage in a contest which has seen just one away victory in the last eight, namely the “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012 when Jose Maria Olazabal’s side recovered from 10-4 down to pull off an incredible win.
That also remains the last close contest and the United States have not won on European soil since 1993, a fact their players have been keen to play down.
“We have so many guys that have not played a foreign Ryder Cup, an away game, if you will. I think that ignorance is bliss in my opinion,” US Open champion Wyndham Clark said.
“We have guys like Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa and Collin Morikawa and myself that have played on Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams where we dominated and all we know in our years is how to win, both away and at home.
“Then all we’ve ever seen and watched is that we lose on the road for Ryder Cups and so I almost feel like we have a little added chip on our shoulder.
“A lot of us played other sports and we all love that it’s an away game. We feel like we can quiet the crowd and it would be even more fun and more enjoyable to win on the road.”
Clark also said he wants to face McIlroy in the singles to prove he is the better player and that Europe’s team could be “leaking oil” on the final day. Whether he is sipping champagne or eating humble pie on Sunday will be fascinating to see.
Djokovic, Bale and Sainz among stars to take on Ryder Cup match in Rome
Novak Djokovic, Gareth Bale and Carlos Sainz were among the celebrities who turned out in a Ryder Cup ‘All Stars’ match ahead of the main event in Rome on Wednesday.
Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin, opposing captains at Celtic Manor in 2010, reprised their rivalry in a contest between two teams of six over seven holes at Marco Simone.
The competition provided some additional entertainment for the crowd as players from the European and United States teams continued to practice ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup, which begins on Friday.
Djokovic, who won a record-extending 24th grand slam at the US Open earlier this month, and Wales record goalscorer Bale were members of the triumphant ‘Team Monty’, which won 7-4.
Djokovic, who partnered leading disability golfer Kipp Popert in his four-ball match, said: “It’s a great honour to be here. It was something I will marvel and cherish for a very long time.
“Obviously I am much more comfortable hitting a tennis ball with my racket but I don’t think I did too badly today, I hit some good shots and had some good holes.”
The Serb is expected to speak to the European team prior to the start of the Ryder Cup.
“Now I am staying for a few days,” he said. “I have to experience this unique atmosphere. At 7am on Friday, I hear it is this incredible noise.”
Former Real Madrid and Tottenham star Bale, who has become a regular on the pro-am golf circuit since retiring after last year’s World Cup, emphasised the importance of team play in what is normally an individual sport.
He said: “You aren’t playing just for yourself, you are playing for your country, your continent. You have to put your ego to one side and its all about the team, doing your best for the team, whether you win or lose.”
Ferrari Formula One driver Sainz, whose team-mates on the day included 2004 Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko and Victor Cruz, a Super Bowl champion with New York Giants, said: “I had a lot of fun.
“It was an incredible feeling to play in front of so many people on such a cool golf course.”
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