After Tiger Woods failed to automatically qualify for this year’s Presidents Cup, he could still name himself to the team as a rare playing captain.

There hasn’t been a playing captain in the Presidents Cup in a quarter of a century, and Woods said he wouldn’t pick himself with one of his four selections unless the rest of the team – including his assistant coaches – buys in.

“My job as the captain is to put together the best team possible,” Woods told reporters Monday on a conference call. “Trying to put together the best 12 guys. We’ll be going through the whole process of having communication with the top eight guys and vice captains.

“That is something that we’ll certainly talk about. Ultimately it’ll be my call. But I want to have all of their opinions before that decision is made.”

The 43-year-old Woods wasn’t expected to even need to make the ultimate flex move, because he was considered likely to make the team as an automatic qualifier. He won the Masters, but then had middling performances in his next half-dozen tournaments, withdrawing from one and missing the cut it two others.

Woods found out the eight automatic qualifiers after the BMW Championship on Sunday: Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson and Justin Thomas. He just missed the cut himself at No. 13, but could name himself when he picks four more players to round out Team USA for the December event in Australia.

There hasn’t been a playing captain in the competition since Hale Irwin juggled both jobs in the very first Presidents Cup back in 1994.

In a very “it’s good to be the king” move, Woods could still tab himself when the picks are made in early November. But if so, he’s not going to have all that many opportunities to get sharp before then.

Woods didn’t qualify for this week’s Tour Championship and isn’t slated to play until the Zozo Championship in Japan in late October, just weeks before the picks have to be made.

“It’s practicing, it’s playing, staying sharp. Obviously I’m playing in Japan, and so that’s going to help,” Woods said. “But I think it has a lot to do with a lot of my competitions I’m going to have down here [in South Florida].

“I’ll be playing with a lot of the guys here. They’re going to be getting ready for some of the fall events, we’ll have some matches, and that’s always fun because we’re able to talk trash and have a great time and try and get in one another’s pockets. That will be something that I definitely rely on, and obviously the event in Japan.”

If Woods doesn’t pick himself, he could go with names such as Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Jordan Spieth or even Phil Mickelson. The latter, who has been a Presidents Cup mainstay, could also join the team as a fourth assistant should Woods name one.

The Presidents Cup will be Dec. 11-15 at Royal Melbourne. That’s where Team USA lost the event for the only time, back in Woods’ 1998 debut.