(CNN) -- Tiger Woods may have clung on to his world number one status but after a disappointing final round at the PGA Championship will have to rely on captain Corey Pavin to play in the Ryder Cup. 

Woods needed to finish in the top 15 at Whistling Straits to have any chance of forcing his way into the eight automatic selections for the United States team to face Europe at Celtic Manor in October. 

Handily placed after three rounds, Woods stumbled to a one-over 73 to end up in a tie for 28th. 

"I hit my irons really good today. I drove it terrible," was his verdict. 

His performance was certainly an improvement on a disastrous showing in the preceding WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Woods briefly led at the start of his first round, but after that the inconsistencies crept in. 

"I didn't miss a shot for the first four holes. And then after that I hit it awful," he added. 

Woods could have done with replicating the final round 67 of arch-rival Phil Mickelson, which lifted him into a tie for 12th, but not enough to surpass his fellow American in the rankings. 

Woods is now hoping that U.S. captain Corey Pavin will make him one of his four captain's picks. 

"Corey texts me a lot so, I'm sure he'll be texting me or calling me and I'm sure we'll be talking. 

"We still have what, two more weeks, right? Two more weeks before the picks? Three more weeks?" 

Woods is still searching for his first win of a truncated season and has not claimed a major since the U.S. Open in 2008. 
Where did he place?
Handily placed after three rounds, Woods stumbled to a one-over 73 to end up in a tie for 28th. 