Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilroy | featured news

Although he didn't take over the No. 1 world ranking with his victory Sunday at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Tiger Woods more than cut in half his deficit between himself and Rory McIlroy.

As the playoffs for the FedEx Cup get under way Thursday at The Barclays, the buzz is bigger than usual. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy playing in the same group for starters, and at Bethpage Black, a notoriously tough track on Long Island made even more famous by the two U.S. Opens it has hosted in the last decade.

Rory McIlroy moved in for the kill and Tiger Woods was left kicking his club in frustration during a Masters second round that ended with Americans Jason Dufner and Fred Couples sharing the lead.

Tiger Woods talked all week about his improved ball control—then it let him down when he needed it most. Woods resembled the Tiger of old over the first three rounds at the Abu Dhabi Championship, stringing together a trio of rounds below par before shooting an even-par 72 in Sunday’s finale to finish in a tie for third place behind winner Robert Rock and U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy has not been a pro long enough to have personally experienced Tiger Woods at his absolute best except in very limited doses. So he doesn’t understand any clamoring by players about Woods’ return this week at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.

It was a roar that defines the Masters, so loud it startled even Tiger Woods. Rory McIlroy, who already dazzled the crowd with a shot through the pines to the back of the 17th green, raised the putter in his left hand as the birdie putt turned toward the hole, then slammed his right fist when the ball disappeared into the cup.