Tiger and Rory set to battle in Firestone farewell

NEVER mind the $10million winner-take-all duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson pencilled in for Las Vegas in November. How about one between Tiger and Rory McIlroy for the Bridgestone Invitational this weekend? McIlroy has been yearning his whole professional life for a Sunday shootout against his boyhood idol and, if it happens here at Firestone, he’d probably consider it worth the wait. ‘Welcome back to your playground, Tiger,’ shouted a fan on the first tee but, as McIlroy showed with a first-round 65, he is a fan of this venue as well. With Tiger carding a 66, both were right where they needed to be at the end of a thrilling opening day, with McIlroy just three behind early pacesetter Ian Poulter. Contemplating the prospect of a Woods confrontation, McIlroy said: ‘I think we last talked about it in 2014 but the way we’re both playing right now, I guess there’s a possibility of it happening somewhere. ‘A shootout between us might never happen. But it would be so cool if it did.’ After eight holes, Woods’ ball striking deteriorated, but he still kept any bogeys away until his 18th, the ninth on the card. ‘You’re not going to play great in every round, so the key is turning average days into a three or four-underpar score rather than three or four over,’ he said. An eight-time winner of this event but playing here for the first time since 2014, the theory that Tiger is more popular now than ever was supported by a walking gallery that seemed ten times the size of McIlroy’s. ‘It felt like the old days out there,’ said Woods. The sub-plot looming large here is the Ryder Cup, with this event and next week’s USPGA Championship all but deciding remaining places in the two teams. In-form Russell Knox could push his way in if he builds on yesterday’s 67. ‘It’s coming down to these two weeks,’ said the Scot. ‘So it’s up to me to play well and impress the captain.’