adminHAIKOU. — Rory McIlroy finally tasted success for the first time this year when he beat an ailing Tiger Woods by one shot in a megabucks exhibition golf match in China yesterday.In the “Match at Mission Hills”, at a sprawling golf complex on Hainan Island, the Northern Irish world number six shot six-under-par 66 to Woods’ 67 in the one-round face-off.
McIlroy, who has dropped off the top of the rankings and has not won a tournament all year, also beat Woods by one shot in a similar Chinese event last year.
Yesterday’s victory, at the same venue where he won the World Cup with Graeme McDowell in 2011, will give him a boost ahead of this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
“I would like to play all my tournaments in China where I can beat Tiger,” said the 24-year-old. “It’s been great to come back to this wonderful golf course where I still have such great memories from playing here two years ago in the World Cup.”
Last year’s “Duel at Jinsha Lake” was notable for its unruly fans, and marshalls and officials — and Woods’s manager — again struggled to control the crowd at times yesterday.
Woods, who touched down after a 22-hour journey late on Sunday, was also battling a virus caught from his daughter, with his voice reduced to a whisper by the end of the round.
“I don’t sound all that well now but it was nice that it was warm out there today as that certainly helped, because I think my fever broke and I can start feeling a bit better,” said the world number one.
“But I tell you what, when you have kids they bring home some strong bugs and this one has definitely been kicking my butt for the last couple of days.”
McIlroy got off to a great start when he birdied the first two holes before Woods, competing in his first event since the Presidents Cup, responded with birdies at three and four.
McIlroy shot a double-bogey on the fifth and he trailed Woods by a stroke coming into the par-five 12th, where both players raised a cheer by firing eagles.
The Ulsterman drew level with a birdie at 14 and it was Woods who blinked first when he three-putted for bogey on 17. Both players finished with a birdie on the last hole.
It was an encouraging outing for McIlroy, who finished tied second at the Kolon Korea Open before fading from a promising position at last week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai.
“So I leave here and head back to Shanghai with my game good and there has been a lot of promising signs in practice and in my competitive play,” he said.
“I still have four tournaments left to the end of the season and still would love to finish 2013 strongly and get some momentum into next season.
“I’m hitting the ball well and from tee-to-green the game is very solid and if I can get the putter working, I maybe can contend and get a win or two.”
Woods is remaining in Asia for promotional engagements before heading to Turkey and next week’s inaugural Turkish Airlines Open at Balek.
While the appearance fee was not revealed, reports said Woods and McIlroy split US$3 million for playing last year’s “Duel”. Meanwhile, Woods put the heat on Golf Channel over analyst Brandel Chamblee’s insinuation of cheating, saying yesterday that he was ready to move forward and that now it was up to what Golf Channel was prepared to do.
Woods spoke publicly for the first time since Chamblee, a long time critic of the world’s No. 1 player, wrote a column for SI Plus in which he gave Woods an “F’’ for his five-win season because of a series of rules violations.
Chamblee wrote that Woods was “a little cavalier with the rules,’’ and he made the analogy of the time his fourth-grade teacher crossed out “100’’ and gave him an “F’’ for cheating on a math test. Chamblee last week went on Twitter to say the cheating comparison went too far, and he apologised to Woods for “this incited discourse.’’
“All I am going to say is that I know I am going forward,’’ Woods said before his exhibition match with Rory McIlroy at Mission Hills. “But then, I don’t know what the Golf Channel is going to do or not. But then that’s up to them. The whole issue has been very disappointing as he didn’t really apologise and he sort of reignited the whole situation.
“So the ball really is in the court of the Golf Channel and what they are prepared to do.’’
Golf Channel has not commented on the flap.
Chamblee is an analyst, but he wrote his column about Woods as a contributor to another publication. Chamblee has said he was not asked to apologise by anyone.
Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, was so incensed by the column that he issued a statement to ESPN.com that raised the possibility of legal action. Steinberg shared his client’s views.
“I’m all done talking about it and it’s now in the hands of the Golf Channel,’’ Steinberg said.
“That’s Tiger’s view and that’s mine, and all we want to do is move forward. And whether the Golf Channel moves forward as well, then we’ll have to wait and see.’’ — AFP.
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