Tiger Woods was confirmed as a captain's pick on Tuesday, paving the way for his return to the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National.
It is a stage Woods has previously graced seven times in his illustrious career, but this will be his first appearance as a player since 2012.
Advertisement
The former world number one has returned to major contention this year, suggesting he has finally shaken off his injury woes.
With Woods primed to compete once again for Jim Furyk's Team USA against Europe, we take a look back at his 1997 debut and how things have changed in the 21 years since.
ROOKIE WOODS OVERSHADOWED BY SEVE'S SPANISH SUCCESS
Woods was 21 when he played in his first Ryder Cup and one of four rookies in the visiting team at Valderrama.
The name of another of those rookies? A certain Mr Furyk.
But the Tom Kite-led USA lost by the same scoreline as they had two years prior – Woods contributing 1.5 points in a 14.5 to 13.5 loss.
It marked a glorious triumph on home soil for the much-loved Team Europe captain Seve Ballesteros.
OLD ROCCA ROLLS OVER TIGER
After modest outings in the foursome and four-ball formats, Woods was pitched into a singles battle with 40-year-old Costantino Rocca.
The USA, trailing 10.5 to 5.5 at the start of the final day, ended up winning three of the first four singles clashes, with Woods out in the fifth.
But the wily Rocca proved a tough opponent and Woods fell to a 4&2 loss.
It remains his only singles defeat at the Ryder Cup.
FROM ONE MAJOR TO 14
At the time of his Valderrama appearance, Woods had one major to his name – the 1997 Masters.
He would only win one more before his next Ryder Cup, an infamous USA triumph at Brookline, but the headline honours soon began to accumulate.
Woods will head to the outskirts of Paris as a 14-time major winner.
CAPTAIN BJORN'S BOW
Like Furyk, 2018 Team Europe captain Thomas Bjorn was also a Ryder Cup rookie in 1997.
The Dane, then 26, contributed 1.5 points too, winning his Saturday morning four-ball, while his singles showdown with Justin Leonard was halved.
Bjorn and Woods would meet twice across the 2002 Ryder Cup, claiming a point apiece in the four-ball and foursome formats.
WHEN JON, JORDAN AND JUSTIN WERE JUST JUNIORS
Many of those featuring in this year's Ryder Cup will have very vague memories of Woods' 1997 debut.
Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau, who will all be Woods' USA team-mates in France, were just four.
This European team boasts a player even younger and Spaniard Jon Rahm was still a three-year-old when the Ryder Cup was hosted in his country.
