McIlroy wins another duel with Tiger
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, October 29, 2013
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Tiger Woods lost to Rory McIlroy in an 18-hole head-to-head contest called "The Match" at Mission Hills in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. |
It was a two-player game, and mainly meant for television, but the big money involved was enough to attract the world's two most popular golfers.
Current world No. 1 Tiger Woods again lost to Rory McIlroy in an 18-hole head-to-head contest called "The Match" at Mission Hills in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, yesterday.
McIlroy, who shot a 6-under 67 on the island city to claim a one-shot victory over Woods, took a few days off between his two tournaments in Shanghai — BMW Champions and HSBC Champions — for their second successive showdown. Last year, too, at "The Duel at Jinsha Lake" in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, McIlroy won by one shot.
It was Woods' first trip to Hainan but it was McIlroy, the 24-year-old former world No. 1 and two-time major winner, who found his groove early amid a throng of 20,000-odd spectators, nailing birdies on the first two holes. Woods replied with his own on the next two holes.
The Irishman took a double bogey on the par-5 fifth, allowing Woods to take a one-shot lead at the turn. But McIlroy drew level with a birdie on the 14th.
It was Woods' bogey on the second-last hole that handed McIlroy the edge he held on to.
Both were believed to have pocketed at least US$1.5 million for the one-day mission.
"We had a great time today, I think everyone enjoyed it, the front nine wasn't great but on the back nine we got it going," said Woods, 37, the newly named PGA Player of the year. The 14-time major winner regained his world No. 1 ranking early this year.
It was McIlroy's first victory of any kind this year. The world No. 6 has four tournaments left, including the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai this week, to break the title duck.
Before the event, both players watched young golfers in action on the driving range and took part in a "skills challenge", with Guan Tianliang, one of China's best known young stars, among the participants. Guan won the chipping contest handily.
Former Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Guan, who turned 15 last week, caused a stir by making the cut at the US Masters and finishing as the leading amateur in Augusta in April.
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