In a two-part interview given to The Independent newspaper, Rory McIlroy notably revealed that he and Tiger Woods had contracted Covid 19 the week before The Open at St Andrews and that they had arrived weakened at the start of the last Major of the season.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy
In a long interview with Irish media The Independent.ie, the first part of which appeared on Sunday, world number 1 Rory McIlroy recounts how he believes he transmitted the coronavirus to the Tiger a week before the 150th anniversary celebrations of The Open in St Andrews in July.
Invited to play the JP McManus Pro-AM at Adare Manor, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy took the opportunity to go and play at Ballybunion but on their return, the first symptoms appeared and it was the Northern Irishman who was the first to recover.
feel worse. “I woke up that morning feeling a little sore but I didn’t really pay attention to it. JP McManus provided us with his helicopter and we went to Ballybunion for a game with Tiger manager Rob McNamara. We went back to Adare for lunch but when I got up from the table, I didn’t feel well.
I was stiff and very tired. I said to Erica, “I feel a little weird. I’m just going upstairs to lay down for a bit.” I slept for maybe two hours and sweated quite a bit. Erica took my temperature and it was dizzying.
I called Tiger to say, “I’m not feeling very well.” And he said, “Oh, I’m fine.” But at 10 p.m. that night, he texted me. He had chills, fever, and I realized that I had given the Covid to Tiger! Playing the Open the following week, we were still with the Covid.
» still friends
Obviously, Tiger Woods, who did not make the cut at St Andrews in his last tournament appearance, did not hold it against whoever will be his partner in the new edition of The Match on December 10 at Pelican Golf Club when the two men will face on 12 holes at night the formidable doublet Jordan Spieth – Justin Thomas.
