Tiger tells McIlroy to get the finger out and win in Houston
McIlroy is returning to the PGA Tour for the first time in a fortnight and in his last event before the Masters on April 11.
The 23-year-old Northern Irishman has broken 70 just once in his nine stroke play rounds this year including shooting a pair of 75s to start his new season in Abu Dhabi.
On Monday, McIlroy’s 208-day reign as world number one ended when Woods captured a record-equalling eighth PGA Tour event in winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.
Woods was also in Orlando yesterday competing in the Tavistock Cup when he responded to McIlroy’s congratulatory text.
McIlroy said: “I thought I would just let it all sort of die down so I texted him this morning.
“I hadn’t spoken to Tiger for a couple of weeks and I just congratulated him on his win and saying: ‘Well done’. Tiger got back to me and told me to get my finger out of my ass and win this week.”
Last Friday, McIlroy was spotted in shorts at the Miami Municipal Golf Course and confirming he took his own golf balls to work on his game at the club’s practice range.
If McIlroy wins this week he will pocket a cheque for €840,000 and also knock Woods off the top spot.
Joining McIlroy this week in the Lone Star State is fellow Irishman Shane Lowry.
Lowry is making his debut in the event and will the contest the €4.8m tournament thanks to McIlroy and his Horizon Sports Management team that secured an invitation for the current Portugal Masters winner. After a session on the Redstone GC range, McIlroy and Lowry, along with McIlroy’s coach Michael Bannon, went out for an 18-hole practice round.
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