Torrey Pines, California ….
This week is a first for McIlroy, a first time he will contest the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
For Tiger Woods, it will be the opportunity to win a PGA Tour counting event for an amazing ninth occasion.
And while McIlroy strives to secure a fifth Major as well as a 15th PGA Tour win and a 24th pro career success he spoke of Woods phenomenal of having won eight times on the Torrey Pines course that includes seven Farmers Insurance Open titles and the 2008 U.S. Open.
“You look at Tiger over his career, Bay Hill, Firestone, here, he targets the golf courses that he has success on and that he likes,” said McIlroy.
Rory McIlroy impressed by Tiger Woods impressive victory record not only at Torrey Pines but Bay Hill and also at Firestone CC. (Photo – @tourmiss)
“I alluded to the fact that you don’t — you need to be a tremendous ball-striker, you need to be a great iron player, a great short game, and those have been the hallmarks of his game over the past 20-odd years, so I can see why he has done so well around here.
“And you do, you get comfortable. Once you’ve had some good memories at a place and you’ve played well, it’s nice to come back to those places and think of all that success.
“That’s why he’s won eight times here and eight times at Bay Hill and eight times at Firestone.
“It’s obviously not very easy to do, but he just has a comfort on them and he’s — obviously not just these tournaments, but he’s been playing Torrey Pines for 30 years, all the way back to Junior World, so he’s got some experience.”
Joining McIlroy this week is West Waterford’s Seamus Power and looking to end a horrible start to his first full season as a full Tour member.
Power has missed the cut in six of seven events on the new 2018/19 wraparound schedule.
