McIlroy, eyeing more majors, has laser surgery
>> LONDON: World No.3 Rory McIlroy has undergone laser surgery to correct his vision as he sets his sights on more success next year.
The 26-year-old Northern Irishman posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing protective glasses and saying that t he procedure went smoothly.
“Human version of the dreaded K-9 cone... Only for sleeping though!” McIlroy posted, referring to the protective cones worn by some dogs. “Laser eye surgery went well.” McIlroy, who has four major titles to his name, formerly played with contact lenses, which he has been wearing since he was 11. He is next scheduled to compete at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship from Jan 21-24.
He was out of action for five weeks this year and missed the British Open at St Andrews after rupturing ankle ligaments playing soccer, but finished on a high note when he won last month’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship and defended his Race to Dubai title.
He will bid for a fifth major victory and the career Grand Slam of all four major titles at the Masters in April.
In Naples, Florida, Americans Matt Kuchar and Harris English combined for a 14-under-par 58 in a scramble format on Thursday to seize a onestroke lead after the opening round of the 27th annual Franklin Templeton Shootout.
The three-day invitational event hosted by retired Australian star Greg Norman matches 12 pairs of golf’s top men’s players in three different styles, with Friday featuring a modified alternate shot and today’s final round utilising a better-ball format.
Kuchar and English, the only pairing to have played the tournament together more than once, won the Shootout in 2013 and finished second last year.
Kuchar comes off a win in October at the Fiji International event on the Australasia PGA Tour while English has a best finish of second this year, losing a play-off at Torrey Pines.
Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, who won a US PGA Tour event last month in Mexico, and American Gary Woodland were one stroke adrift, sharing second with the US duo of Hunter Mahan and Billy Horschel.
Americans Daniel Berger and Charley Hoffman shared fourth on 60 with Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and American Cameron Tringale. Last year, Tringale won the title alongside Australia’s Jason Day, who last week pulled out of the tournament.