New York - After failing to win a match at the Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods privately apologised to four first-time members of the American side after their defeat by Europe, according to a Golf Channel report on Monday.
Tim Rosaforte, a contributor to the television network, said on a morning show on the Golf Channel that Woods apologised for not earning enough points to team-mates Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley.
Rosaforte said he learned of the gathering from Snedeker at a charity fundraising event in Memphis, Tennessee.
"Tiger got all the rookies in a room, closed the door and personally apologised to everyone for not doing more, for not getting the points he needed to get to get a US victory," Rosaforte said.
"For people who don't think Woods really cares, whenever that turn or that pivot occurred in his career, it has fully turned."
Woods went 0-3 with a halved match against Italy's Francesco Molinari after Europe had already clinched retaining the Cup, making the final count 14 1/2-13 1/2 for Europe after a last-day European fightback at Medinah on September 30.
Woods, 13-17-3 in Ryder Cup matches, has played on only one winning Ryder Cup side, that being the American squad that made a similar last-day rally to win in 1999 at Brookline, Massachusetts.