WOODS IS A TRUE GREAT

Mac’s praise for ‘legend’ Tiger

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RORY McILROY insists Tiger Woods will go down as a golfing great even if his career is cut short by injury.

Woods has not played since pulling out of the Dubai Desert Classic in January.

The 14-time Major winner, who has had four back operations in the last three years, has now cast doubt over whether he will ever return to competitive action.

McIlroy said: “Only he knows whether he can do it and he’s taking it very slowly.

“I spent a bit of time with him and he’s waiting on his doctors to tell him when he can do things. He’s going to take their advice and not be quite as stubborn as he was.

“But if he doesn’t play again, he’s been the greatest player that I’ve ever seen.

“He probably played the greatest golf anyone in my lifetime has seen. I didn’t really see Jack (Nicklaus) play. Jack has a better record but I don’t know if he played better golf.

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“If this is it, he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. He can walk away from this game with his head held extremely high.”

Woods, 41, has not hit a full shot in anger since the latest procedure in April.

Now amid fears the back problems may now have taken their toll, the Ulsterman said: “I don’t think there’s a single figure in golf who did more for the game.

“That’s in terms of bringing different groups of people into the game, different ethnicities, different age groups and making golf cool in the 90s, when it really needed an injection of something. So he’s a legend of the game.”

McIlroy yesterday needed the help of a spectator to keep his first round of the British Masters on track.

A late entry into the £3m event, McIlroy shot a three-under-par 67 to lie four shots behind leaders Tyrrell Hatton and South African George Coetzee at Close House.

But he was indebted to the fan who found his ball inside the five-minute time limit after a wild drive on the 17th.

McIlroy added: “I feel like I’m not under any pressure to perform at all. That’s probably the reason I shot a decent score.”