The Loop

Missing Links: McIlroy vs. Woods 'would be great for our sport'

January 07, 2015

Stories of interest you might have missed…

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is convinced that Tiger Woods has regained his power, and if so, golf might have a budding rivalry. "Rory [McIlroy] has got that, he's one of the longest hitters in the world, and it looks like Tiger has got that back. That's going to be a big asset for him," McGinley told Reuters Tony Jimenez. "Rivalries are what sport is built on. For somebody to rise up this year and have a real head-to-head battle with Rory would be great for our sport."

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(Getty Images)

It is "the year of Tiger Woods," Kevin Garside declares in the Independent. "When was it otherwise? Will he win another major? Is his demise terminal? These are the wildly oscillating poles around which the golf chat rooms spin."


Darren Clarke is "almost certain" to be the next European Ryder Cup captain, James Corrigan writes in the Telegraph. "It will be a huge surprise if [Darren] Clarke does not become the second Irishman in as many matches to lead the blue and gold. Miguel Ángel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn were originally considered strong alternatives, but both have spoken of their desires to qualify for the showdown in Hazeltine, Minnesota."


Tiger Woods is selling an island in Lake Mylaren, Sweden, the Daily Mail reports. "The 62-acre island features a secluded villa, a hunting lodge, its very own landing strip for propeller planes as well as, of course, six tee-off areas for a custom-made golf hole," Damien Gayle writes. Woods' ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, is from Sweden.