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U.S. captain Davis Love III extends open invitation to Tiger Woods for 2022 Presidents Cup

Tiger Woods has been laying low since he was involved in a serious car crash in Southern California in February.

Though a return to the PGA Tour — or simply the golf world in general — still sounds like it is a long ways off, Woods has an open invitation to help with the U.S. Presidents Cup team next year.

U.S. team captain Davis Love III said Tuesday at the RSM Classic that he hopes Woods will at least serve as an assistant on the 2022 team.

Whatever Woods wants to do, Love said, he can do it — even if that means he’s out of a job.

"It would have been a great captaincy for Tiger to continue on," Love said, via ESPN. "At the time we were discussing it [before his crash], he said, 'No, I'm playing really good. I'm gonna make the team, and I enjoyed Australia being playing captain, but I want to be a player on the team.'

"So his role is whatever his role wants to be. If Tiger calls me up and says, 'Hey, you're kicked out, I'm taking over' — that's Tiger's role. If he wants to be an assistant, you know ... I would hope that he comes back and starts playing and can make that a goal, to be on the team."

'I know he'll be a big part of it'

The Presidents Cup will be held at Quail Hollow in 2022, after it was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Woods served as a playing captain on the 2019 team that beat the international team in Australia.

Woods, however, has not competed since the 2020 Masters last November and has been recovering from the horrific car crash for the past nine or so months — something he said was “more painful than anything I have ever experienced.” He was spotted at a junior golf event last month with his son, and had a sleeve on his leg.

Though Woods’ future in golf is still murky, he did help push the U.S. team to a Ryder Cup win over the Europeans in September from afar.

"It took us a while to get him to the point where he would engage," Love said, via ESPN. "Obviously he had a rough start to the year, but once we got him in the loop, he was a big help and a lot of fun for the Ryder Cup and for the team. Obviously the guys were going to see him down there in South Florida all summer.

"He can do whatever, and I know he'll be a big part of it."

Tiger Woods of team USA at the 2019 Presidents Cup
Tiger Woods of team USA poses for a photo with the cup during the final round of The Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on December 15, 2019 in Australia. (Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)