GOLF NEWS: AMERICAN RYDER Cup captain Corey Pavin wants Tiger Woods on his team at Celtic Manor in October and says his view of him has not changed since news broke of the world number one's infidelity.

“Everybody makes mistakes. I’m not going to sit here in judgment, I am the last guy in the world to do that,” said Pavin, in London yesterday to become the first non-European recipient of the Professional Golfers’ Association annual recognition award for services to the game.

“I just hope things work out for him and Elin. It’s obviously an emotional time for him, but I think he’s going to be fine.

“Tiger’s obviously a very strong-minded individual and I don’t think he will play any differently when he comes back.

“He’s come back from injuries and setbacks (Woods’s father died in 2006) and done fine. But my main concern at the moment is for his family.”

Woods won both the Open and US PGA three years ago, but he had everyone’s sympathy then and that will certainly not be the case after all the revelations that have come out since his car crash on November 27th.

Pavin was in Iraq visiting troops at the time and admits he was “very shocked, very surprised”. But his trip to the Middle East made it easy for him to put things into perspective.

“It’s humbling and very inspirational,” he said. “We get lost in our own little world sometimes on what’s important.

“We get bothered by little things and then you talk to someone who’s had their legs blown off in war and are upbeat.

“The most amazing thing is when you see an injured soldier’s first thought is to get back with their unit.”

Like everyone else, Pavin is now waiting to see how long Woods is out. The Americans regained the Ryder Cup without Woods at Valhalla last year following his knee surgery, but Pavin added: “To not have the best player in the world weakens the team.

“That does not mean we can’t win without him because obviously we did last time, but you always want the best player in the world.”

Meanwhile, Woods has been voted male Golfer of the Year in the annual Golf Writers of America Awards, the PGA Tour said yesterday.

Woods received 84 per cent of the vote (168 votes) with 10 per cent for Steve Stricker and six percent for PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun.

The American was a runaway winner of the award for the 10th time in 13 seasons.