World No. 1 Rory McIlroy joked today he would love to kick Tiger Woods’ ‘ass’ when the duo tee-up alongside each other in this week’s Barclays Championship.
It is the second time this year McIlroy and Woods find themselves being paired by organisers after officials at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship sent them out for the opening two rounds of the event earlier this year.
“I’m looking forward to it. You know, it’s nice and it really focuses you from the get‑go, a pairing like that.,” said McIlroy.
Look out Tiger! Rory wants to kick your ass. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“I feel every time I’ve played with Tiger, he’s sort of brought the best out of me.
“I really feel focused and obviously want to play well. You know, I’m looking forward to it. I really enjoy his company. I know we’ll have a good time out there. I’m keeping him waiting here, so I’ll stop talking about him.”
However with the Ryder Cup now just five weeks away, and with McIlroy and Woods each finishing first on the respective team rankings, nothing would please McIlroy better than to get one over on Woods before their Medinah showdown.
“I’d love to go out there. I’d love Tiger to go out first and kick his ass (laughter).”
McIlroy is returning to competition for a first time since elbowing both Woods and Luke Donald aside to move back to World No. 1 following his stunning Ocean Course cruise to an eight shot success at Kiawah Island.
“I drove the ball really well at Kiawah a couple weeks ago, and obviously around this golf course you’re going to have to do the same,” added McIlroy.
“Bethpage is a big golf course. You know, if you hit the ball in the rough, it’s a big disadvantage. But you know, I put a new driver in the bag a few weeks ago and feel like I’ve got a bit of extra distance from it, and I feel confident with it. Hopefully going to be an important club this week.”
And while McIlroy is golf’s new pin-up boy, he recalled watching a young Sergio Garcia capture the 1999 Irish Open and then display his youthful enthuisasm later than year when paired with Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.
“I remember watching Sergio win the Irish Open in ’99, and then I remember staying up late on that Sunday night when he was battling Tiger down the stretch at Medinah and hitting the shot from the tree and running up the fairway,” said McIlroy.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Sergio over the past few years. It was great to see him win last week and great to have him on our Ryder Cup team. I think he’ll be a very important member for us.
“And yeah, he was definitely one of my favorite players growing up, just the way he played the game.”
