GOLF:

Even though the world’s No. 1 golfer won’t be at the Ryder Cup, he certainly plans on watching it. The event, which is held every two years between an American team of 12 golfers and a European team of 12 golfers, is one of golf’s biggest competitions.

Tiger Woods, who has a home in Corona del Mar, won’t be going to the competition between the United States and Europe at Valhalla near Louisville, Ky., but he will be like any other golf fan, glued to the television set.

“I plan to watch the Ryder Cup this week, but I will not attend,” Woods said in his monthly newsletter. “I wish the American team well and hope they can bring back the Cup.”

It’s a shame Woods won’t be at Valhalla since it is the site of one of his most thrilling major championship wins, the 2000 PGA Championship. He defeated another Orange County resident, Bob May, in a three-hole playoff.

There could be more drama on the legendary course this year even without Woods.

Dwayne Morrison certainly believes so. He and his 16-year-old son, Michael were hitting range balls at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club Tuesday evening, and were excited about the event.

“The Ryder Cup is something I look forward to,” Morrison said. “It has a lot of drama. It’s like another major.”

The event began in 1921 with an American team competing against a British team. The British team was expanded in 1979 to include all Europeans after the United States won all but one of the previous competitions.

The Europeans though have had a stranglehold on the Ryder Cup recently, winning five of the last six competitions.

Morrison plans on rooting on the American team and enjoys the drama of the three-day tournament.

“This is big for golf,” Morrison said. “The history of the tournament and the international flavor to it are the reasons I enjoy it.”

Another reason why Morrison and other golf fans enjoy the tournament is because of the match play structure of the three formats used. Match play, where golfers can win a hole with the best score and earn a point, can win the match when they have more points than holes remaining. It is far more exciting than stroke play and builds in the drama from the first hole.

Play starts Friday morning with foursome play, which is a match where two golfers play together against two other golfers and each team plays one ball. The golfers play alternate shots until the hole is played out. Team members alternate playing the tee shots, with one golfer hitting the tee shot on odd-numbered holes, and the other hitting the tee shot on the even-numbered holes. The team with the better score wins the hole.

In the afternoon, fourball is played, which consists of a match in which each member of the two-man teams plays their own ball. Four balls are in play per hole with each of the four players competing. The team whose player has the lowest score on that hole wins the hole.

The two formats will be repeated on Saturday and then on Sunday there will be 12 single matches.

Morrison plans on recording the event, so he and his son can play golf on Saturday afternoon.

“It is the best of both worlds,” Morrison said. “We will probably play nine holes and then come home and watch it.”

So should any other golf fan. With or without Woods, this is one event that shows the spirit of the game and has more suspense than most major championships.

JOHN REGER’S golf column appears Thursdays.