Tiger, McIlroy to clash in The Match at Mission Hills
World No. 1 Tiger Woods and two-time major winner Rory McIlroy will battle against each other in The Match at Mission Hills on Oct. 28, their second head-to-head, 18-hole contest in China following last year’s Duel at Jinsha Lake in Zhengzhou.
The event will be held over the acclaimed par-73 Blackstone Course at the 180-hole Mission Hills Resort in Haikou, the capital city of Hainan Island off China’s southern coast.
The 7,808-yard Blackstone Course — one of 10 Schmidt-Curley designs at Mission Hills Haikou — made international headlines as host venue for the celebrity-filled 2010 Mission Hills Star Trophy, which featured swimming legend Michael Phelps and film stars Matthew McConaughey, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Hugh Grant.
A year later, Blackstone hosted the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, where McIlroy and Graeme McDowell finished tied fourth for Ireland, as Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland of the USA emerged victorious.
Last October, the course hosted the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am, another lavish event featuring Phelps, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo and basketball icon Yao Ming, along with film stars Andy Garcia, Ryan Reynolds, Adrien Brody, Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen.
This time, Woods and McIlroy will be the star attractions in Haikou. But although Woods is familiar with the Mission Hills Resorts in Shenzhen and Dongguan in Guangdong province, which boast 12 courses between them, The Match at Mission Hills will mark the 14-time major winner’s first time in Hainan.
“The Match at Mission Hills should be a great contest in a great setting in Haikou, and I’m excited about playing there for the first time,” said Woods, winner of 79 PGA TOUR titles, including five this year.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Blackstone, so it should be a great location for the rematch with Rory, who I know has played there before in the World Cup. I’ve played at Mission Hills on the mainland, but this will be my first time playing at their Haikou resort, so I’m looking forward to visiting Hainan Island for the first time.”
Woods, 37, admits he’s eager to rebound from his one-stroke defeat to McIlroy at Jinsha Lake Golf Club last October, when the American was ranked world No. 2 behind McIlroy, whose five wins in 2012 included a second major at the PGA Championship.
“I’m hoping to win this time,” Woods said. “We both played well, but Rory got me by one. I’ve had a really good year on the PGA TOUR, so it would be nice to earn another trophy in China.”
McIlroy, 24, will travel to Haikou between competing in the BMW Masters and the WGC-HSBC Champions, both in Shanghai. The Northern Irishman says he’s ready for the challenge of taking on an in-form world No. 1 and hopes his experience at Blackstone will give him an edge.
“We had a lot of fun last year, and I’m expecting the same again this time in Hainan. He’s played the better golf this year, but I feel like I’m getting my game back again, and I enjoy any challenge, especially against Tiger, so I’m ready for another showdown,” said McIlroy, who shot a bogey-free 67 to win by one last year.
“The crowds last year were amazing, and it really makes it worthwhile when you can generate that kind of enthusiasm for a two-player match. I’ve enjoyed playing at Blackstone before, and I imagine it can only help me having already played there.”
The Match at Mission Hills is the latest high-profile event to be hosted by the Mission Hills Group, which has been at the forefront of developing golf in China since hosting the World Cup of Golf in 1995.
Ken Chu, chairman and CEO of Mission Hills Group, said, “The Match at Mission Hills between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy brings together two of sport’s biggest stars to our celebrated Mission Hills Resort in Haikou, which has vast experience of staging spectacular events in recent years.
“The showdown between these two superstars enjoyed a memorable start last year, and we’re looking to help grow this event to another level as it’s held at Blackstone Course for the first time. We can all expect a memorable day.”
Event organizer Infinite Ideas International (i3) will co-promote the event with Bolide Sports and Entertainment, a China-based sports marketing firm.
An exhibition event between Justin Rose and Ian Poulter that was scheduled to be held Oct. 28 at Mission Hills Dongguan to mark the opening of their Rose-Poulter Course has been postponed until further notice.
