Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have emerged as the biggest names in golf, but the Northern Irishman went to great lengths as a teenager to be near his idol.
Rory McIlroy once posed as a photographer to catch a glimpse of Tiger Woods whilst competing as a 16-year-old at the Dubai Desert Classic.
McIlroy has emerged as Woods’ most formidable ally in recent years, establishing himself as the biggest name on the PGA Tour alongside the 15-time major winner. The two have even ventured into business together: McIlroy and Woods are the founders of the soon-to-be-established TGL, an innovative golf league.
Though McIlroy looked up to Woods as his childhood hero, their relationship has not always been as strong as it is now. Woods is the joint most successful player in PGA Tour history.
When McIlroy was sixteen years old, he had the opportunity to play in the European Tour’s 2006 Dubai Desert Classic alongside the legendary Woods. McIlroy, who was relatively unknown, finished his first round rather quickly, and Woods played in the featured groups later that day.
In 2012, McIlroy disclosed that he had played the role of a photographer to track Woods during his first 18 holes, eager to catch a close-up look at the 15-time major winner. Twelve years ago, when reflecting on his inaugural Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy said to ESPN, “I remember what I shot [in 2006] – I shot two 72s and missed the cut by one.”
“I remember I played on Thursday morning, and then on Thursday afternoon Tiger was playing. I came out in the afternoon and took one of the photographer’s cameras off of him and was able to follow inside the ropes, which was pretty cool.
That was my first real taste of Dubai, and I’ve been coming back every year since.”
However, McIlroy has since developed into something of an authority on the Dubai Desert Classic. The four-time major champion won the Dubai crown three times in total after winning his first professional title at the Middle Eastern tournament in 2009.
One of the most memorable was last year, when McIlroy faced off against Patrick Reed, his rival on LIV Golf. The two had been involved in controversy earlier in the week when Reed threw a tee at the four-time major winner after the Northern Irishman was seen ignoring him on the range.
