Tiger Woods injury: US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk insists his star man is OK (Image: REUTERS)
Woods lost his fourballs match alongside Patrick Reed on Friday before being rested for the foursomes.
The former world No 1 did not look at his best out on the course at Le Golf National.
There are concerns Woods may be carrying a back injury.
But Furyk insists he is not concerned by Woods’ fitness after confirming he will play alongside Reed again on Saturday morning.
You’d have to ask Tiger
“I have not heard that he’s had a back problem,” Furyk said.
“You’d have to ask Tiger, but no, I saw him out on the golf course. He said he was all good.
“He was actually out practising tonight after the matches.
“Tiger Woods draws so much attention – any time Tiger doesn’t play, or maybe he stretches a little bit, everyone gets a little hypersensitive that he might have a back issue.”
Tiger Woods injury: Woods and Fury speak during day one of the Ryder Cup (Image: REUTERS)
Tiger Woods injury: The golfing ace sits back after his first round defeat (Image: REUTERS)
Woods only won his first PGA Tour title in five years earlier this month as his slow rise back to the top of golf continues.
He will partner Reed on Saturday and again face off against Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood.
Woods himself has played down concerns his back is causing him problems in the Ryder Cup.
“I’ll be ready come tomorrow whenever captain puts me out,” Woods said. “I’m not going to work on anything. My game is fine.
“I was hammering it, the ball was going far, it was going straight, but it was not cutting.
“I can accept that, that’s really no big deal. My putting feels solid. I’ll be ready come tomorrow whenever the captain puts me out.
“We couldn’t answer them. Once they started rattling off birdies, they were playing perfect best-ball.
“It’s disappointing and frustrating for Pat and I to not contribute to the team.
Tiger Woods injury: Woods will play in the Ryder Cup Saturday fourballs (Image: REUTERS)
“When you lose a point, you feel like you’ve contributed but you’re contributing to the wrong team.”
Europe lead USA 5-3 heading into Saturday’s first session, with eight more points on offer today.
Phil Mickelson will not play in the morning session after a disastrous round with Bryson Dechambeau saw the pair lose 5&4 to Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren in the foursomes.
And Furyk defended his decision to play Mickelson.
“He’s got a lot of experience, most experienced Ryder Cupper of all-time,” Furyk said.
“I’ve heard some of the rumblings… (but) it’s Phil Mickelson, major champion.
“He’s a very good iron player so I felt comfortable.
“I put that confidence in him and I’ll be honest I’d do it again. I have a lot of confidence in all 12.”
Match 3 is the only showdown unchanged from Friday morning.
Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy take on Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka in the first match of the day on Saturday.
They will tee off with confidence after Europe completed a clear sweep of the foursomes on Friday afternoon.
And Europe captain Thomas Bjorn was delighted with that performance.
Europe Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn was delighted with his team (Image: EPA)
“When you clean-sweep, that is something that is pretty special to all those players that are out on that golf course,” Bjorn said.
“We got those crowds behind us. We got them going. They started believing… then it seemed like nothing could go wrong.”
On pairing Molinari and rookie Fleetwood together again, Bjorn added: “”They just love playing to each other.
“I think they just have a very special bond and relationship, and they have for a long time, and they love being on the golf course together.”