McIlroy and Woods set for head-to-head matchplay in China

The newly-crowned USPGA champion and world number one, Rory McIlroy, is set to square off against 14-time Major winner Tiger Woods in a special showpiece event in China in October.

The 23-year-old Holywood, County Down native and Woods will be the sole participants in a matchplay contest, which will offer any prize money,and takes place at Jinsha Lake Golf Club in Zhengzhou, capital of the central province of Henan, on October 29.

McIlroy currently leads the standings in the Race to Dubai with 2.8million euros, followed by England’s Justin Rose on 2.3million euros and the Northern Irishman is the 3/1 favourite to win outright come December followed by Rose at 5/1. Louis Oosthuizen, currently in third place, is next best at 16/1 while British Open champion Ernie Els is 20/1.

Last year’s winner, Luke Donald, who is in eighth place in the rankings is 25/1, with Lee Westwood priced at 33/1 and McIlroy’s fellow countryman, Graeme McDowell, is 40/1 for the honour.

Two-time Major winner McIlroy admitted: “It’s an exciting concept and it will be a lot of fun going head to head with Tiger. The Duel at Jinsha Lake will be the first time myself and Tiger have come together to play a ‘one-off’ match like this, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve always looked up to him as a player. What he’s achieved in the game is remarkable.”

“With the huge growth of the game of golf across Asia and the inclusion of the sport in the next Olympic Games in 2016, I think it’s fitting for this great event to take place in China,” added the Northern Irishman.

McIlroy has enjoyed considerable success in China during his professional career, including pocketing the biggest-ever prize offered for a golf tournament when winning $2million for a play-off victory over Anthony Kim at the Shanghai Masters last October.

He then went on to win the Hong Kong Masters at the beginning of September after a closing 65 gave him a two-shot victory over Gregory Havret.

McIlroy will also meet Woods in the opening two rounds of the The Barclays at Bethpage in New York next week as the pair are number one and two in the FedEx Cup rankings ahead of the four tournament play-off series.

Ladbrokes offer a ‘Tiger Woods Ryder Cup Special’ that the former world number one will be the top overall points scorer in the Ryder Cup, which takes place at Medinah Country Club in Illinois from September 28-30 between the US and Europe. Woods is 8/1 from the leading bookmaker to achieve the feat in September.