Tiger Woods’s 2 Years of Absence Backfires? Rory McIlroy to Beat His Feat Soon, as Per Reports

Published 01/11/2024, 9:19 AM EST

Rory McIlroy just had a phenomenal start to run on the DP World Tour with Dubai Invitational. He has taken the top spot with a nine-under-par score for the opening round of the event. But securing this top spot has landed him head-to-head with legendary golfer Tiger Woods!

The 16x DP World Tour champion is starting his first tournament of the season with a bang. McIlroy is seeing the Dubai Invitational as a great way to ease into 2024. However, this positive outlook has definitely sharpened his game, giving him a chance to surpass the 48-year-old.

Rory McIlroy is on the verge of surpassing the 48-year-old

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With him coming first in the opening round of the Dubai Invitational, Rory McIlroy has completed a 35 first-round lead. And sitting alongside him at this number is Tiger Woods. So, the Irish golfer has a chance to surpass him. And he can do it again in the comfort of his favored place, Dubai, where he will be competing in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on January 18.

That will be the 35th first-round lead of McIlroy's career, which in terms of official, OWGR-sanctioned events puts him level with… Tiger Woods.
— Ben Coley (@BenColeyGolf) January 11, 2024

Surpassing the American golfer will be a huge achievement for Rory McIlroy. It is a feat in itself that he matched Woods’ record, who has played for 27 years, in his own professional career of 16 years.

But the injury of the 48-year-old and his absence for almost two years is a major factor in matching this record. Also, Tiger Woods has become stagnant at 35 first-round leads due to slowing his participation in events.

Dubai Invitational 2024: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money, and More

Even now he is targeting to compete in only one event per month. He is recovering from his surgery and recently showed fans a glimmer of hope with his one-in-a-million shot. On the flip side, there are multiple stats in favor of Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods is still the better golfer

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While McIlroy has matched him in first-round leads, Woods outclasses him in total wins. The American golfer has won 19 to McIlroy’s 5, so that’s a pretty sizeable gap. This also means that while McIlroy has a great start like Woods, he is not able to capitalize on them. Furthermore, Woods is still the all-time number-one golfer to secure PGA Tour wins.

Tiger Woods is expected to compete next at the Genesis Invitational. In the meanwhile, Rory McIlroy has a chance of surpassing him in first-round leads during the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

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Do you think the Irish golfer will be able to surpass Woods? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Caroline Joseph

Tiger Woods’s 2 Years of Absence Backfires? Rory McIlroy to Beat His Feat Soon, as Per Reports

Rory McIlroy is on the verge of surpassing the 48-year-old

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