Woods and McIlroy to duel again - at Mission Hills in Hainan
Superstars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will expand their already bulging bank accounts with a lucrative, one-round exhibition appearance next month in Hainan island.
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Superstars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will expand their already bulging bank accounts with a lucrative, one-round exhibition appearance next month in Hainan island.
The pair will face off at Mission Hills’ 180-hole complex in Haikou, one of the world’s biggest golf resorts, on October 28, organisers announced today.
While no figures were revealed, last year’s similar “Duel at Jinsha Lake” in Zhengzhou – an event to promote luxury real estate – involving Woods and McIlroy was for a reported pot of at least US$2 million.
By way of comparison, the winner’s cheque at this year’s US Masters, arguably the sport’s most prestigious tournament, was US$1.44 million.
Woods, 37, said he was hoping to win this time after losing out to McIlroy at Jinsha Lake, an event remembered for its bizarre fans and organisation.
In outlandish scenes, spectators mobbed the fairways and stole balls from the driving range, while luxury yachts and helicopters were parked nearby and models in evening wear stood at the tees.
“I’m hoping to win this time,” said the 14-time major winner and world number one. “We both played well last year, but Rory got me by one. I’ve had a really good year on the PGA Tour, so it would be nice to earn another trophy in China.”
The “Match at Mission Hills” is sandwiched between the US$7 million BMW Masters and US$8.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions, both in Shanghai and the highlights of Asia’s late-year flurry of tournaments.
