Golf News: As the Northern Irishman chases a third victory at the Emirates Golf Club this week, Rory McIlroy hopes to inspire young fans with the same encouragement he had from watching Tiger Woods on his Dubai Desert Classic debut in 2006.
McIlroy returned to the course in the afternoon, equipped with a camcorder, to watch his idol Woods play after playing his opening round on his debut at the tournament as a 16-year-old.
Sixteen years later, McIlroy is attempting to replicate some of the magic Woods produced that day, having won the tournament in 2009 and 2015, as well as six other top-10 performances.
“Being able to be within the ropes and having a media credential gave me a better view than most,” McIlroy said ahead of the tournament, which begins on Thursday.
“On the 10th hole, Tiger fired a five-iron out of the right rough, landed on the green, and stopped it there – one of the best golf shots I’ve ever seen. It just stands out in my mind, and I was there to witness it.
“But that’s fine. As a teenager, I attended a number of golf championships, including the World Golf Championships at Mount Juliet, The Open at Troon, and the World Match Play at Wentworth.
“I loved getting up close and personal with those guys while trying to learn and be inspired by them. If there are any young children wandering about this week who feel the same way or think the same things as I did back then, it would be a pretty great feeling.”
Last week in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy had to birdie the 18th to make the halfway cut on a score of three over par, but he stormed through the field over the weekend and was just two shots down after 13 holes of the final round.
The 32-year-old had to settle for a tie for 12th place after three bogeys in the final five holes, while former Ryder Cup partner Thomas Pieters went on to win the tournament.
“It was a nice weekend,” McIlroy said. “It was a sad ending on Sunday, but some of the golf I played over the weekend was extremely encouraging.”
‘Maguire appears to be a fantastic leader’
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is also in Dubai, having participated in the tournament’s Pro-Am event on Wednesday, with the Premier League on hiatus for the winter break.
McIlroy, a Manchester United fan, expressed his respect for Maguire but stated that he would not switch places with the England defender – or several other players – because he prefers to be his own boss.
McIlroy said of Maguire, “I saw him on the range this morning.” “I didn’t get a chance to see him hit any since I was hurrying to the first tee because I was late.” It’s fantastic to have those guys here.
“He appears to be a fantastic leader.” He appears to be a wonderful motivator, the type of person you’d want to lead a football team and someone you like. Standing next to him, I realised he was a lot bigger than I thought. He’s a large lad, as you can see from standing next to him. That’s for sure, I wouldn’t want to be tackled by him.”
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