If you wondered what it would be like if China ever produced a World No. 1 ranked golfer than you only had to be in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Monday for the ‘Duel at Jinsah Lake’.
In all my years of reporting golf I’ve never seen a day or scenes like it.
McIlroy and Woods arrived at the course in a fleet of Bentleys to be greeted by the sight of a double line of Chinese military personnel standing to attention.
Inside the gates of the Jinsah Lake Golf Club complex was more akin to an open-air exhibition complex with models standing in full evening dress beside luxury motor car displays.
On the range and beside the practice putting green were helicopters on display.
Fireworks exploded overhead as McIlroy and Woods walked on stage and then after having a golden coloured cast made of their hands, similar coloured tinsel was fired from cannons to sprinkle down over everyone.
McIlroy joined Woods on the practice range but fans quickly broke the security cordon forcing officials into damage control mode.
Once the players headed the practice putting green, fans flocked onto the range to pocket the Nike practice balls.
Never had the duo seen so many iPads and mobile phones present at a golf tournament.
There was also the very distracting sight of a European-born looking model dressed in a stunning black evening dress standing on the 12th tee but one wonders if McIlroy and Woods could recall she was promoting Van Klaren necklaces.
The bizarre sights and sounds continued right up to the presentation with spectators in their hundreds lining the final green taking photographs of their golfing idols.
Then an official pushed through the throng to hand Woods’ manager, Mark Steinberg a silver tray containing some six apples and two boxes of takeaway fried chicken for his star client who hadn’t had lunch.
Hereunder is a collection of photogrphs from the day.
* Click to enlarge
