Ever wondered what the world’s top-ranked golfers talk about in between shots over the course of 18 holes.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods and world’s former top golfer Rory McIlroy provided a good answer to that question during their Match at Mission Hills yesterday at Hainan Island.
Their first real discussion was on the edge of the Blackstone course putting green when Woods queried McIlroy about the recent bizarre Korean Open ruling that saw the leader slapped with a two-shot penalty and lose the event by a shot.
But as they took to the course here is some snippets of their conversation over the three-and-a-half hours.
On Woods not playing one of the FedEx Cup events but still remaining Number One in the world.
McIlroy to Woods: “We did a little bit of an analysis and you could not have played the BMW Championship (FedEx Cup Series) and still be No. 1 going into the Tour Championship.”
Woods: “Yeah! The amazing thing is the wear-and-tear on guys who were in the Tour Championship as everybody played awful. The golf course was set-up so easy and everyone should have shot low scores and it’s just that everyone was tied and beat up.
McIlroy: “What then about next year? Four in a row plus the Ryder Cup, so that’s going to be fun.”
Recalling the 2011 World Cup of Golf at Hainan Island.
Woods: “What did you and G Mac shoot here in the World Cup?
McIlroy: “We shot 63 on the first day and that was alternate shot.
Woods: “And the best ball scores were close to 59?”
McIlroy: “Yes but we lost a bit of ground in the better ball.”
Woods: “I remember when David (Duval) and I played the first year in that format down in Argentina and I had eagled 17 and the only hole I helped him all day and then he hit it into the water off the par five 18th to take bogey.”
Assessment of Nike’s newest ball and irons
Woods: “What do you think of the new ball and the new irons?”
McIlroy: “I definitely like what they are talking about and they look pretty cool, and looks different”.
Woods: “I find that I am flighting the ball better”.
McIlroy: “I don’t know just yet as they only gave the new ball at a photo shoot in L A but then I didn’t have my clubs with me to compare. It does feel solid.”
Woods: “I’m excited about the 2-iron that seems pretty good. I just can’t hit my old 2-iron any more. It’s got too much offset in it.”
McIlroy: “What, you just like the look looking down on it?”
Woods: “I have to plant it down so far back to hit it.”
Assessment of McIlroy’s form in the BMW Masters.
Woods: “How did you feel you played last week?”
McIlroy: “I hadn’t played in a few weeks but then I played well the first day but then you sort of have to build it up again.”
Woods: “My first day back is always my best day and I just lose it from there.”
McIlroy: “I’m exactly the same. I don’t know what it is. Timing? I don’t know.”
Woods: “I know we had to shut it down to get my back stronger again but then I couldn’t do any lifting work as I was protecting it.”
McIlroy: “I guess all the time you are still getting treatment?”
Woods: “Exactly. All I was trying to do was get to the next day. But right now it’s nice and even playing out here today is like my off-season. I’m doing exactly what I need to do to get ready for next year.”
Woods compliments McIlroy on a good shot.
Woods: “Where did you learn that trick?”
McIlroy: “This new soft ball. It’s a lot softer than I have been using.”
McIlroy singles out the course set-up for the final round of the BMW Masters.
McIlroy: “All the tees were moved forward and they (European Tour) don’t move any back, and it was like a wedge into every par four. It was so little wind and you want them to present a tough golf course.”
Woods: “Especially when it’s supposed to be their Play Offs.”
McIlroy: “The thing that I find with the European Tour more than the PGA Tour is that the players complain so much about the golf course in terms of the course set-up. Last week was a 7,600 yard golf course and on a perfect day they should play it as that, so instead of hitting a 4-iron into a par three, you are hitting an 8-iron.”
Woods: “So everybody went low?”
McIlroy: “Actually, not really. A few players went low and the course didn’t give you a chance, if you were a few shots back, to make up any ground on the field.”
Woods: “They were all shooting 69 and below?”
McIlroy: “Yeah.”
Woods hits an errant shot.
Woods: “My swing at the moment just feels like ****”
McIlroy: “The first few shots you hit on the range this morning were pretty good.”
Woods: “Yes.”
McIlroy: “You were hitting those 4-irons like …”
Woods: “I know.”
McIlroy: “Then you think about what you are doing (laughing).
Woods: “Exactly. What was I working on again?”
Woods asks McIlroy about the newest Nike driver in his bag.
McIlroy: “This one has a bigger head and a slightly longer face so I feel like I can turn it over better. With the last one, my bad shot was that I felt like I was losing it to the right with this newest one it feels like the clubface squares up much better at impact. As a result, I am driving the ball much better and much straighter.”
Woods is surprised is it so warm on Hainan Island.
Woods: “This warm weather wasn’t expected. I’ve been in Shanghai all those years …
McIlroy: “Shanghai gets nice in the day but it’s chilly in the morning and in the evening.”
Woods: “How about the pollution?”
McIlroy: “Oh! A guy who lives in Munich was telling me last week that there is some sort of pollution index and it gets above 80 they tell the residents to stay inside, and if they have to come outside not to stay out for too long. In Shanghai is often gets above a thousand.”
Woods: “Amazing!”
McIlroy: “Beijing is worse. But down here (Hainan Island) it’s fine.”
Woods: “I agree. Yeah”
More on World Cup format?
Woods: “What score won down here two years ago?”
McIlroy: “I can’t remember.”
Woods: “You know when we went to the World Cup in Argentina, the year they switched the format that I told you in 2000. Duval and I played in Argentina and then next year we played in Japan and we never made a bogey in those two tournaments we played. Not one.”
McIlroy: “Even in alternate shots.”
Woods: “Even in alternate shots we never made a bogey.”
McIlroy: “Incredible.”
Woods: “We lost a play-off in that tournament in Japan.”
McIlroy: “What year was that you chipped-in?”
Woods: “O1. I remember that as that got us into the play-off.”
McIlroy picks out a spectator that looks like TV commentator, Johnny Miller.
McIlroy: “Do you think that guy over there looks a bit like Johnny Miller, like from the side?”
Woods: “Oh dude! Brilliant call. Great call.”
McIlroy wins the match with a 66 to Woods score of 67.
McIlroy: “Thanks ‘T’ as that was a pleasure. Always fun playing with you.”
Woods: “Yes, I enjoyed it too and thanks.”
McIlroy: “Good seeing you again and see you next in L A.”
Woods: “You got it”.
