Things looking up as Rory and Tiger add to all the fun
YOU have to go back almost 900 days to the USPGA Championship in August, 2015 to find the last time Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods both played tournament golf in the same week.
Boy, over the last three days, have they shown us what we’ve been missing.
They might be separated by 8,000 miles and 12 time zones but that has merely added to the fun. Barely had Tiger birdied three of his last five holes to make the halfway cut on the number in the Farmers Insurance Open in California on Friday night than Rory was rising to pluck five birdies from the last seven holes he had left to play of his second round yesterday morning in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
It was box-office brilliance from both, as the sheer guts of Tiger was followed by the glory of Rory.
McIlroy then had one of those afternoons in the third round where the magic was proving elusive and putts burning the edges of holes rather than dropping. Two strokes ahead at halfway, at one point he fell three behind the impressive 22 year old Chinese Haotong Li — a tour winner already and surely the golf superstar in the making that nation has been crying out for — before he dusted himself down and delivered a birdie-laden late rally to close the gap to a stroke.
McIlroy shot 68 to Li’s 64 to take his haul for seven rounds in 2018 to 37 under par, and all he needs now to complete the perfect return following his four month sabbatical is to catch Li today and claim his first triumph since September, 2016.
Even if he doesn’t, he’ll surely head to America for six more events before the Masters feeling things are on track. ‘At the end of the day, it’s only my second event back and I’m in contention to win again, so I’ve got to be happy with that,’ said McIlroy.
For Tiger, too, it’s all about getting in some sort of shape for Augusta.
After nine holes where he couldn’t locate a fairway to save his life, he lay 125th in the 156-man field and all looked lost.
Woods’ golf didn’t improve much thereafter but the prime reason why he has 63 more victories than he has missed cuts — the figures are 79 and 16 respectively — came into play.
Chips finished close and putts dropped through sheer will as much as anything else. It seemed barely credible that, after so many bad shots, he arrived on his last hole needing a birdie at the par five to make the cut.
Woods once birdied the final hole at Torrey Pines to force a play-off in the 2008 US Open that he would go on to win. This birdie came on the North Course rather than the South but it was still a highlight to add to all the others he’s enjoyed at a venue where he was won eight times.
As you can imagine, the reaction among the tens of thousands who turned up to watch was euphoric. As for the man himself, he was rightly proud: ‘It was typical me, I’ll fight for whatever I can get and it felt good. It was a grind but I expected that after being away for so long.
‘Now all aspects of my game will benefit from another two rounds, as I try to get my feelings back for what I can do in competitive play.
‘I’ve played every day preparing at home but you can’t replicate what it’s like at a tournament.’
Woods went on to compile a 70 in last night’s third round to lie three under par for the tournament.