The US golf team played a cruel but funny prank on Tiger Woods ahead of the Ryder Cup

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Tiger Woods.

• Tiger Woods was given the "cold shoulder" by his Team USA 2018 Ryder Cup teammates recently.
• The veteran American was on a high after winning the Tour Championship last weekend, his 80th career win and first PGA Tour victory in five years.
• Woods was expecting high-fives and hugs when he saw his Ryder Cup teammates later in the day, but he instead got something different.
• Tiger Woods, golf's biggest superstar, got pranked.

Tiger Woods ended a five-year PGA Tour trophy drought in style when thousands of fans mobbed the course at the East Lake Golf Club to watch the veteran American bring home his 80th career victory in Atlanta last weekend.

The build-up to his title-winning putt brought tears to his eyes and he expected high-fives and hugs when he linked-up with his US Ryder Cup teammates later that day.

But he instead got something different - Woods, golf's biggest superstar, got pranked.

Shortly after Woods had completed his media obligations as the newly-crowned champion, USA's Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk got the blessing of Woods' caddie, Joe LaCava, to play the practical joke he had organised with the rest of Team USA.

"I ran into Jim Furyk and he said, 'We were thinking about giving Tiger the cold shoulder like they do in baseball when the guy hits his first home run,'" LaCava said on Ryder Cup Radio on Sirius/XM. "He asked, 'Do you think Tiger will be OK with that? I was like, 'Of course he would. He's got a sense of humor.'"

LaCava added: "Tiger shows up about a half-hour later and is looking for some high-fives from everybody and they wouldn't give him the time of day. They weren't even looking at him, they all have their backs to him."

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Woods and his caddie Joe LaCava.

"He's looking at me like what's going on? He's not a guy who is looking for fanfare, but these are his boys. He's looking for 11 guys to run up and give him a good hug."

The "cold shoulder" prank did not last long, and the Ryder Cup team did eventually join Woods in celebration after a couple of minutes of anguish.

It is unclear whether Woods will retaliate in kind, but as Golf.com reports, "you can expect more hijinks throughout the week because nothing is better for team bonding."

The 2018 Ryder Cup takes place between 28 and 30 September at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France. Woods is expected to play a prominent part in the USA vs. Europe competition.