Rory surprised by return of Tiger's Scotty Cameron

Tiger Woods' Scotty Cameron putter

Rory McIlroy was quick to put a Scotty Cameron putter back in his bag the moment Nike announced it was out of the equipment market. But one thing the world No 2 didn't expect was to see Tiger Woods follow suit.

Speaking about Woods in Dublin this week, McIlroy was asked if he was surprised the putter was the first thing Woods replaced.

"I was," he said on the reappearance of the Titleist Newport 2 GSS that helped him win 13 of his 14 majors. "The reason he told me he switched to the Nike putter was because the Scotty Cameron got bent in transit or something, that was why."

Woods explained on his return in the Hero World Challenge the putter is one of two that son Charlie is not allowed to touch.

“These two, Daddy only,” Woods said earlier this week in referring to how he explains to Charlie that the Newport 2 and the Scotty Cameron by Titleist Teryllium Newport putter that he used to win the 1997 Masters are off limits."

Like McIlroy, Woods has also used he M2 driver but whether we get to see both on them in next year's $7m Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, two weeks before The Open at Royal Birkdale remains to be seen.

McIlroy is just pleased he's managed to rekindle his desire to do well in an event he admits was once a burden to him.

Now, admitting it was a relief to win it this year, he calls it his fifth major. 

"I was more likely to miss the cut at the Irish Open than I was to win," he said at the Excellence in Sport Awards in aid of the Irish Youth Foundation.

"My record hasn’t been very good. But it was a big sense of relief. The Irish Open was for me a little bit of a burden to come back and play and I wanted to give back more than just playing golf.

"I wanted to contribute in some way and we got involved in the Irish Open through my foundation and we have done some great work through it to be able to make the Irish Open as big as it is today. Next year it’s going to be a $7m with a great date two weeks before The Open Championship and hopefully with a great field.

"I think the date two weeks before The Open entices guys to come over early and acclimatise to the conditions and get to play links golf if it is on a links golf course. SoI wouldn’t be surprised to seea couple of the Americans at the Ryder Cup come over and play this year."

He won it this year in dramatic fashion, which helped make a major-less season acceptable, even if a did go on to win twice in the Playoffs and capture his first FedExCup.

If 2017 features no major wins, McIlroy admits he will be disappointed, so high does he set his goals these days.

"In honesty, I feel a little guilty standing here with this award because my achievements this year pale in comparison with some of the other people standing up here tonight," he said after accepting the Sportsperson of the Year gong..

"It is hard to describe my year this year as a little bit disappointing because I didn’t win a major. I have had a good year but I am not sure my year has been as good as those of other people up here on this stage."

Asked if 2017 will be branded disappointing if he doesn't win a major, he said: "Yeah. That’s the standard that I have set for myself. Majors are what we define ourselves by and it would be.

"I am happy with how i finished this year. Take the end of August and September away from my season and it would have been very disappointed. But I was able to put a bit of a glossy finish on it. Majors are what I want to win and hopefully I can contend in them next year and hopefully pick up another one."