IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER

Rory tees it up with pal Woods and Spieth

FROM NEIL SQUIRES in Tulsa TIGER WOODS will have Rory Mcilroy in his eyeline tomorrow as he attempts to roll back the years at Southern Hills.

The golfing superstars were paired together, with Jordan Spieth making up the stellar group, for the first two rounds.

Woods won the last time the US PGA Championship was staged in Tulsa in what was the hottest Major in history with temperatures of 109 degrees.

And the 15-time Major winner, 46, yesterday insisted he can repeat the feat in his first appearance since The Masters despite the challenge of another undulating course for his shattered right leg.

Pal Mcilroy (right, with Woods on the range yesterday), was in no mood to argue.

Northern Ireland’s world No.7 said: “Six weeks is a long enough time to recover from that week and then build yourself back up again.

“He certainly hasn’t chosen two of the easiest walks in golf to come back to – Augusta and here. But he’s stubborn, determined and lives for these Major Championships. If he believes he can get around 18 holes, he believes he can win.”

Woods outscored Mcilroy by two shots the last time they were paired together for the first round of a Major two years ago at the US PGA at San Francisco’s Harding Park.

Overall, he leads Mcilroy 12-9 in tournament head-toheads and also beat Mcilroy in the quarter-finals of the Wgcmatch Play three years ago.

For a player who claimed four years ago the hullabaloo around Woods costs two shots a round and who has struggled in the first round of Majors of late it is not the ideal draw.

But Mcilroy arrives in good heart after his fast finish to secure runner-up spot at Augusta. “I’ve probably put on 10lbs since The Masters,” he admitted. “Not all muscle. There’s probably a little bit of excess fat in there, too. The diet hasn’t been quite as disciplined as I’ve wanted it to be.

“But I always notice when I do put on a bit of weight that my speed goes up, so that’s something that I guess is an added benefit.”

Woods makes his return to the scene of his 13th Major win with the Oklahoma oven thankfully on a lower setting thanks to the US PGA’S move from August in the calendar.

“It was not cold that week,” said Woods. “I remember playing behind John Daly the first day, and I asked JD how many waters he drank out there. He said he had 13 diet cokes.

“It was a great week but it is very different golf course now. It’s faster, it’s more wide open.

but I feel like I can win.”