Albany, Bahamas …
Rory McIlroy may be officially side-lined with injury but it has not curbed his enthusiasm seeking guests to next year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Ballyliffin.
McIlroy has been ‘twisting the arm’ of reigning PGA Champion and 2016/17 PGA Tour ‘Player of the Year’ Justin Thomas to contest the event.
Thomas, who won five PGA Tour events this year, revealed ahead of today’s (THU) starting Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas McIlroy had approached him to tee-up on the famed Pat Ruddy designed Glashedy Course.
“Rory has mentioned to me about teeing-up in his tournament which was pretty nice of him,” said Thomas.
“I have a lot of respect for Rory and I like him a lot, and I would love to tee-up in an Irish Open just for him given he is the host of the tournament.
Rory McIlroy Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
“Also, the field Rory has been able to attract in recent years has been pretty awesome including Jon Rahm winning this year.
“That time of year though is a really busy time for me to consider travelling to Ireland but hopefully if things change I can make it back over to Ireland as I loved my first visit.
“But then you never know and things may change.”
In fact, Thomas travelled to Royal County Down in 2012 as a member of the US Arnold Palmer Cup side and winning two matches, halving one and losing in the Singles, and with Europe claiming a 13 ½ to 10 ½ victory.
“I just thought Royal Country Down was a stunning golf course and if I do head back to Ireland I would love to play the course again,” he said.
Thomas has the distinction in the Bahamas of partnering Tiger Woods over the opening round of the Hero World Challenge and joking he would love to ‘kick Tiger’s ass’.
“There’s a lot of other players, but there’s nobody that moves the needle like Tiger, even now,” said Thomas.
“If he had 15 wins and two majors, then yeah, people wouldn’t care as much, but he has 79 win and 14 majors. I mean, I’m probably just as excited to watch it as you are.
“I now get a front row seat to it on Thursday, but I’m also looking forward to trying to kick his ass, to be perfectly honest (laughing).”
Thomas also recalled first being impressed by Woods and that was watching TV coverage of Woods’ play-off victory over Bob May in the 2000 PGA Championship and Woods fifth Major triumph and also the third leg of his ‘Tiger Slam’.
“I can still remember the PGA at Valhalla in 2000 was the first real memory I have probably just because I was there and being ‑‑ I remember just being in the clubhouse when he had that putt to get into a playoff with Bob May, just watching on TV.,” said Thomas.
“The little delay like as soon as he hit it, on TV you could just hear the crowd go nuts outside.
“I was a seven‑year‑old and it was pretty cool to see that great of a show, the back nine that those two guys put on, and for Tiger to come back and get in that playoff and win was awesome. Like a lot of people or kids, whatever you want to call it, my age that play golf, we grew up in that era, so it’s pretty fun to watch.”
