Masters Tournament: Who is favourite, Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods?
The world of golf witnessed one of the most interesting events ending on a high note at the PGA National Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, when Rory McIlroy wanted a win to reach atop the Official World Golf Rankings.
Meanwhile, the former world number one and the 14-time major winner, Tiger Woods, and the world number three, Lee Westwood, charged and surged to the top four in the Honda Classic.
With a victory in the event, McIlroy became the 16th player in the history of golf to take the first spot in the OWGR.
With such an interesting event finish, there is a new debate revolving around these players, regarding who will win the next major event.
Whether it will be McIlroy outclassing his opponents or Woods roaring back to reclaim his kingdom back.
Many golf experts believe that Woods can be a strong contender for the Masters Tournament in April because of his experience and good track record on the venue, Augusta National Golf Club.
For the last two years, Woods was placed fourth each time at the Masters. Also, his performances came in a period that is considered to be the worst of his career.
Yet, he managed to record good finishes in the event, which makes him a strong contender for the major title whenever he enters the field.
In addition to that, his recent final round performance in the Honda Classic was one that astounded his critics who were of the view that his career has come to an end.
As Woods was recovering from his knee injury, he changed his swing and putting techniques, which caused him problems for several months.
A time came when golf experts started believing that he will not be able to recover his form as his putting, which was his major strength, was becoming worse as the time passed.
However, Woods’ four birdies, along with two spectacular eagles, in a single round in the Honda Classic, that did not see a bogey coming, in was a proof of his control over his putter.
"I really didn't miss many shots today. It was a good day and I hit a lot of good putts that went in and some that just skirted the edge," he said after the final round at the PGA National.
"It feels good because I felt like I've been close to shooting this score or scores like this. It was just a matter of time before things all fell into place," he added.
He was flawless and tried to give a message to his opponents that he still has plenty of game left in him. Moreover, winning a major would not be easy for anyone else until Woods is participating.
On the contrary, the other school of thought believes that the young McIlroy is much stronger than Woods while entering the first major event of the year.
McIlroy is repeating the history by displaying amazing performances, like those that Woods used to exhibit in the same age.
Among the last four PGA and European Tour events he played, his worst finish came in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, where he was placed fifth, four shots off the leader.
This proves his consistency and hunger for the top positions whenever he is in contention at any event.
Therefore, McIlroy also has bright chances of recording the second major win of his career and earning enough ranking points to get a strong lead in the OWGR.
Keeping in view the performances of both the players, it is hard to say that who will win the prestigious event in the golfing world.
However, McIlroy appears to be in a stronger position compared to the player who is looking to grab the 15th major win of his career.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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