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“I Don’t Like Him”: Tiger Woods’ Intimidating Comeback Round at Riviera Puts Rory McIlroy Under Pressure

Published 02/16/2023, 10:43 PM EST

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Tiger Woods is back in action with his full might at the Genesis Invitational. For those who came to see him struggle to walk and take decent swings, his game was a surprise. Birdies after birdies, he made the audience cheer with their utmost strength at Riviera. Another thing that took everyone by surprise was the length of his drives. There were instances where he outdrove both Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, who were playing in the same group as Woods.

Rory McIlroy unhappy with Tiger Woods

The two close friends and business partners are in a friendly war. After Woods’ powerful performance, the CJ Cup winner thinks it is tough to compete with him. It was unexpected, given that the 15-time major champion was away from the golf course for a very long. But he played at Riviera and sometimes outdrove the young golfers, making him intimidating. 

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In Thursday’s flash interview, the Irish golfer revealed his feelings about Woods. The reporter asked him about Woods and his incredible drives. McIlroy chuckled and explained his next strategy to surpass the 15-time major championship winner. He said, “I’m going to go work on the Range. I put my driver up a click and Loft at the start of the week. I might have to turn it back down again.” He further explained the reason and said, “I don’t like him hitting it by me.” McIlroy then laughed and left the podium with a big smile.

We might see something different in tomorrow’s round. Also, it will be interesting to see if Woods will be able to maintain his form or not.  So far, it seems that the taping ankle strategy of his team has worked out well. Only time can tell what would happen tomorrow and the days after. 

What wonders did the golf legend display at the Genesis Invitational 2023?

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Woods had a splendid start at the event. He carded three birdies back-to-back at the final three-hole. But the highlight was his immaculate speed. The GOAT registered a ball speed of 180 miles per hour, leaving his fans’ eyes popping. 

via Reuters

It was his first professional tournament in a long time. However, Woods didn’t disappoint the fans and finished with a 2-under 69 in the first round. 

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Watch This Story: Fans Are Loving Tiger Woods’ Return, but Continue to Fume Over a Major Disappointment

Will Woods be able to pull it through the event? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section. 

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Written by:

Saumya Yashawant

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One take at a time

A Commerce graduate who turned her passion into her profession, Saumya is a Golf writer at Essentially Sports. Having developed the love for the sport at a very young age, she watched Tiger Woods and caught inspiration from his legacy early on. Apart from Woods, she shares great admiration for her country's players like Vishwanathan Anand and Neeraj Chopra.
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Edited by:

Anjana Prabhakaran

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