Tired Tiger turns thoughts to McIlroy challenge

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) –

Tiger Woods of the US throws his club after missing a putt at the 18th hole during the third round of the 6.1 million USD CIMB Classic golf tournament at The Mines Resort and Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur on October 27, 2012. Woods admitted it would be tough to recover for Monday’s exhibition against Rory McIlroy in China after sweating through a sweltering CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

Tiger Woods admitted it would be tough to recover for Monday’s exhibition against Rory McIlroy in China after sweating through a sweltering CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

The 14-time Major winner said he had lost so much weight in the tropical heat that his trousers were now too big for him — but he added that McIlroy, the world number one, was facing a similar challenge.

Woods hit a sparkling 63 in the last round to challenge for victory, before finishing tied fourth, while McIlroy came second behind Peter Hanson at the BMW Masters in Shanghai.

“Rory is going to be dealing with something similar. He’s trying to win a championship today, and we’ll both probably be a little bit tired,” Woods said.

“But we’re going to try and put on a good show, shoot a low round and have a little bit of fun.”

Woods now jets off to China for the one-round “Duel at Jinsha Lake” against McIlroy in Zhengzhou, before taking a break ahead of his last event of the season, November’s World Challenge.

“Tiger was a hero of mine growing up and having watched him on TV doing all these incredible things, it’s now pretty cool to be able to get to know him personally and play against him competitively,” McIlroy said in a press release.

At Kuala Lumpur’s CIMB Classic, players have dealt with high temperatures and humidity that gave winner Nick Watney’s caddie heat-stroke, and prompted Woods to admit he was longing for an ice-bath.

Meanwhile McIlroy has contended with headaches in Shanghai which he blamed on air pollution.