Johnson insists Tiger will have a role in Ryder Cup

Tiger Woods will have a role of some kind on the US Ryder Cup team in 2023, captain Zach Johnson has said.

Woods returned to competitive golf in 2022 after breaking bones in his right leg and ankle in a single-car accident in February 2021.

He only played in the Masters, the PGA Championship, the Open Championship and the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor in Limerick in 2022.

"Given who he is and what he's all about, I can tell you right now, I don't know if he'll be here next year, but he'll be a part of this team in some capacity," Johnson said at a joint press conference in Rome, where next year's competition will be played at Marco Simone.

Woods, 46, competed in eight Ryder Cups for the US and was also a vice captain in 2018. He also captained the American team at the 2019 Presidents Cup.

"I can't put this mildly: he loves the Ryder Cup," Johnson said. "He has made it a priority of his, and certainly Team USA. He wants to be a part of it as best he can. Obviously he's gone through some things as of late that make it difficult whether it's travel or what-have-you. But he and I will be in constant communication."

In the 2021 edition of the event, the first without Woods since he burst onto the scene, the US defeated Europe by a record score of 19-9 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.