Last month’s Duel at Jinsha Lake apparently wasn’t the last time Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods went head-to-head.
After that event, the top two players in the world sat down with CNN for an exclusive interview – together.
Among the topics discussed: whether Tiger still believes he can break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors; playing under the constant scrutiny of the media; and why Tiger’s relationship with Rory, more so than any he’s had in his previous 16 years on Tour, has been so public.
On the latter, Woods said, “I got along pretty good with most of the guys in my era that I played against, but it was more just in the locker room. For some reason, Rory and I have become really good friends, and we’ll continue to be that way.”
At one point, McIlroy was asked about a statement made by Nick Faldo, who said that the world’s best player must be a bit aloof, as that was one of the keys that helped fuel his own dominant performance. Woods giggled at the thought.
“You’re on Tour long enough and you don’t need enemies out there,” McIlroy said, smiling. “You want to have friends. Life on Tour can be lonely at times, and you want to have guys to go out to dinner with and share a laugh with in the locker room. You’re out there 25 weeks a year, so you might as well have fun.”
Watch the rest of the video below: