Paul Azinger insists Tiger Woods will provide a positive presence in the U.S. Ryder Cup team room and has warned Lee Westwood that questioning the value of the assistant captain could backfire.
Europe's Westwood had told ESPN that Woods' presence could have an "adverse effect" at Hazeltine next week but Azinger, who led the American team to victory at Valhalla in 2008, hinted that the Englishman was playing mind games.
"Those are the kind of comments that ... could motivate the American team," he was quoted as saying in British newspapers.
"The times I have been on the same team as Tiger he was anything but a divisive figure. He can be imposing but he can also be the nicest guy in the world. It just depends on the situation.
"He really took advantage of the intimidation factor when he was in the prime of his career but I don't believe he is intimidating personally. I think he is going to be terrific in the team room.
"Great players don't need lessons, they need reminders, and Tiger has the ability to remind them there is no shortcut to winning, that you have to be prepared to win. He will preach that, and it will be beneficial."
Westwood's comments were made in a wide-ranging interview, in which he also raised doubt about how effective U.S. captain Davis Love III might be.
Azinger suggested they were not slips of the tongue. "Lee is a smart guy," the American said. "He just likes to drive the needle in once in a while.
"I remember in 2008 when I was captain he was the guy giving dirty looks to Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes and the commentators were talking about him glaring at those two guys. It was a deliberate act by Westwood to try to put pressure on them."
