Sutton Coldfield, England ? Tiger Woods had a million reasons why he wanted to win the World Golf Championship. He came up with another one to explain why he caused such a fuss.

“I was just trying to be funny,” Woods said Tuesday, backing off his comments last week in Ireland when he earned $1 million for winning the American Express Championship. “Obviously, things were taken way out of context.”

Tiger Woods of the United States tees off at The Belfry. Woods' practice round Tuesday was in preparation for the 34th Ryder Cup, which begins Friday in Sutton Coldfield, England.

This week is no laughing matter.

The Americans again are favored to win the Ryder Cup, somewhat of a mystery since Europe has won five of the last eight times. Only once since 1983 have the matches been decided by more than two points.

The Ryder Cup has not been particularly kind to Woods, either.

One of the most glaring holes in an otherwise awesome record is his Ryder Cup mark. Woods is 3-6-1 in two Ryder Cups, splitting his singles matches and taking on five partners in eight team matches.

“I wish it was better,” he said. “That means I would have contributed more points to my team. But I haven’t done that.”

He compared the Ryder Cup to the final round in a major even though he joked last week there were “a million reasons why” he would rather win the American Express Championship than the team competition.

“They’re two completely different animals,” Woods said. “You’re a lot more juiced on the first tee here than you are in a normal tour event, just because if you get off to a bad start you can lose a match. You get off to a bad start in a tournament, you can still win.”

Woods slipped into his Ryder Cup uniform blue shirt with thin red and white stripes, a white vest and gray cap for the first day of formal practice on a course only four players on the U.S. team have played.

He spent his first night at The Belfry playing pingpong, and had one spirited game against Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy.

Woods is the No. 1 golfer in the world and the man everyone tries to beat. At the Ryder Cup, he is just one of 12 players on a team.

“How would you feel if you had him on your team? Pretty good?” Scott Verplank said. “It’s great. Last night we had a big team pingpong match, so we’re all still very competitive, and we all still want to beat each other. But this week, we’re all pulling for each other. And I think we’re coming together nicely as a team.”

Woods won in Ireland by making 24 birdies and an eagle in 72 holes at Mount Juliet. Will he play as well at the Ryder Cup?

“I think anybody would be hard-pressed to say that man is not trying to win every time he puts a tee in the ground,” Hal Sutton said. “I think there’s more reason for him to want to win the Ryder Cup and do well in it, because that’s one of the few times he hasn’t done as well. I’m pretty sure his juices will be flowing this week.”

The Ryder Cup was postponed a year because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Woods expects this to be just like his previous two experiences good golf, a winner and a loser, then back to regularly scheduled programming.

“It’s not life or death,” he said. “This is an athletic event. Win or lose, we’ll shake each other’s hand and go have a beer.”