U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker wants Tiger Woods as vice captain

Much of the outside world hasn't gotten a glimpse of Tiger Woods' recovery from his serious one-vehicle crash on Feb. 23 since he shared a photo of himself using crutches with his right leg in a cast on April 23. 

Ahead of this week's PGA Championship, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker told reporters he has spoken with Woods about being a vice captain even though it's unknown if the all-time great will be able to attend the anticipated event held at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin from Sept. 24-26.

"I've talked to him; I don't know if we are there yet to commit to him being there,'' Stricker explained on Wednesday, per Bob Harig of ESPN. "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."

Surgeons placed a rod in Woods' tibia and inserted screws and pins into his foot and ankle shortly after the wreck, and the 45-year-old reportedly is dealing with injuries similar to those suffered by former NFL quarterback Alex Smith in November 2018. Smith only returned to competitive play last fall. 

"I don't know if he can be there or not, but he said, 'You know I'm here for you all the way up to the Ryder Cup,''' Stricker added. "That shows his level of commitment to me and to the team, and his desire to be there if he can be."