McIlroy game for round with Tiger
Rory McIlroy has forked out 50 euro to take on Tiger Woods - in the world No 1’s new video game.
The Ulster teenager, 19, is one of the new star players featured in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09.
Games giant EA Sports got in touch with McIlroy after he turned professional exactly a year ago and asked him if he was interested.
And while the Holywood hotshot jumped at the chance to feature in the same game as Woods, he had to dip into his career earnings of close to euro 800,000 to buy his own copy.
Set to celebrate his first year in the pro ranks in the euro 2.25m Quinn Direct British Masters today, McIlroy said: “I bought the game the other day and it's brilliant thought the picture doesn't really look like me.”
McIlroy said he shot a 60 around the Old Course at St Andrews but needs more practice before he’s good enough to take on the computerised version of Woods explaining: “He's just a lot better than I am.”
Darren Clarke, Nick Dougherty and Si Re Pak are also included in the latest edition of the game which Woods launched in New York alongside 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.
And Clarke, Dougherty and McIlroy will all be going for considerable gold at the Belfry this week where the winner will take home a cool euro 381,000.
Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood, the defending champion, will also tee it up alongside Irishmen Paul McGinley, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy, David Higgins and Damien McGrane.
Meanwhile, Irish caddie Colin Byrne is splitting up with two-time US Open winner Retief Goosen.
Ryder Cup caddie captain Dave McNeilly, a Belfast native, will take over the duties with Byrne and Goosen saying goodbye for good at next month’s PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.
McNeilly - who has caddied for Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Padraig Harrington - split with Sweden's Niclas Fasth after a four year stint just two weeks ago.
US PGA and Open champion Padraig Harrington returns to action in next week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship before joining Goosen, Masters champion Trevor Immelman and former US Open champion Jim Furyk in the Grand Slam of Golf from October 14-15.