Woods struggled last season, posting just one top 10 finish, and may never be the same golfer who won 14 major championships. He has made his way back to Asia for the WGC-HSBC Champions, which he is playing for the third time, having finished solo 17th in 2013 before tying for 35th a year ago.
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“We are headed for a long period of parity with a lot of stars being developed”, Finchem said at the HSBC Golf Business Forum. Spieth has won eight times worldwide, claimed two Majors, lifted the FedEx Cup and collected five awards for individual excellence in one season.
“Rory just needs a rest and he’ll be back for the pro-am tomorrow”, McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty told AFP.
Spieth’s bedroom is, according to his own description, a museum of golf: a Green Jacket in the closet, a US Open trophy in the corner, and a bronze of Jack Nicklaus that he owns as the PGA Tour’s player of the year.
McIlroy skipped the launch event on the roof of Shanghai’s Peninsula hotel overlooking the Huangpu river after suffering from a stomach bug after practice Tuesday.
“I want to enjoy this week”, the 21-year-old said.
The former world No1 is in Shanghai this week competing at the WGC-HSBC Champions event. With world number one Jason Day absent from the event, early odds have the Texan as the favourite for the event, followed closely by McIlroy.
Watson returns to China to defend the title he won in 2014, while Johnson will be desperate to make an impression after an extended break from the game denied him the chance to defend his 2013 victory 12 months ago.
The 26-year-old now leads the Race to Dubai rankings with just three tournaments remaining of the campaign.
“I still consider this (event) in my mind part of 2015”.
There is every reason to suggest Spieth’s career will go from strength to strength.
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Spieth, now ranked second in the world, said he was amazed to be greeted on arrival at the mega-city’s Pudong Airport for this year’s edition, which begins tomorrow, by the sight of giant posters caricaturing him as a superhero alongside Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson.
