Golf: Sluggish starts for McIlroy, Woods

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods both looked short of form yesterday as they opened their 2013 campaigns at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. McIlroy admitted that he had lacked sharpness. “I feel like I was just a little bit rusty,” he said. “I didn’t drive the ball particularly well which you need to around here because the rough is very thick and I didn’t hole any putts. Meanwhile, Woods said that narrow fairways, thick rough and cross-winds had made it a tough round for all the players. “Wanted to be able to shoot under par somehow and didn’t quite do it,” said Woods. “But I’m right there. If I two-putt the last hole, I’m in I think 12th or 13th or something like that.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2013.