Tiger Woods reacts after sinking a putt for par on the 17th hole in the final round of the BMW Championship on Sunday in Medinah, Illinois. Photo: VCG

US Presidents Cup captain Tiger Woods said Monday he may select himself to play for the team in December but he would need to see how sharp his game is before making the call.

Woods, 43, was not among the top eight ­players to automatically qualify for the squad after he finished 13th on the points list but he has the power to name himself to the roster with one of the four captain's picks for the event at Royal Melbourne.

"My job as the captain is to put together the best team possible, to try to put together the best 12 guys," he told reporters on a call.

"We'll have open communication with our top eight guys and my vice captains and we will certainly talk about whether I should play or not play," he said. "Ultimately it is going to be my call." 

Woods missed the chance to defend his Tour Championship title when he could only manage to tie for 37th at the BMW Championship on Sunday, far from the sixth-place finish he likely needed to qualify for the season-ending event.

Woods said his Presidents Cup decision will depend on how he fares in informal rounds against players preparing for the fall season as well as his performance at the Zozo Championship in October in Japan.

"It's practising, it's playing, it's staying sharp," he said when asked what he needs to do to make the US side, which has dominated the International team since the biennial event's inception in 1994.

Woods, chasing the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has won 81 PGA titles, one shy of matching Sam Snead's career record.

He snapped a six-year drought by capturing last year's Tour Championship, showing he was back on form after spinal fusion surgery that Woods feared might end his career.

A fifth career Masters victory in April at Augusta National brought Woods his first major title since the 2008 US Open and hailed the completion of his fightback from years of back and knee injuries.

He played a limited schedule since then, the year's three other majors and the Nicklaus-hosted Memorial tournament, until last week's playoff opener at Liberty National.

But Woods had to withdraw last week with an oblique strain and tumbled from 28th to 38th in points, forcing him to need to finish about 12th to qualify for East Lake.