Donald on Twitter: Tiger the greatest
World No 1 Luke Donald has used Twitter to declare Tiger Woods “the greatest player I have played with”.
World No 1 Luke Donald has used Twitter to declare Tiger Woods “the greatest player I have played with”.
This just a a day after he had said that Rory McIlroy had more talent the the former World No 1 and 14-time major winner.
Donald tosday will go up against World No 2 McIlroy in a head-to-head battle in the opening round of the Dubai World Championship, an event where a top nine finish will guarantee him an unprecedented double of US and European Tour money list titles.
McIlroy, the only player in the Dubai field who can deny Donald by winning on Sunday, is tipped by the Englishman to go on to win multiple majors.
“The sky is the limit,” Donald said of the 22-year-old Northern Irishman, who won his first major by eight shots at the US Open in June.
“Tiger’s work ethic has always been tremendous and I think his mindset is what has separated him from the field when he was really at the top of the game.
“But in terms of talent, I think Rory has more. Of the guys I’ve played with out here on Tour, Rory has the most.”
After sparking a debate with his comments, however, Donald came back on Twitter with an explanation of what some saw as a highly cotroversial statement by saying: “A few people aren’t understanding what I meant.
“The word talent and Rory to me means a free-flowing swing that makes everything look so easy.
“TW has always been the best at getting the ball in the hole when it mattered the most. That’s not just talent, that’s something else too.
“Talent can only take you so far, you need the right attitude (mindset) and application to perform at the highest level.
“(I’d) never try to disrespect Tiger in any way. He is still the greatest player I have played with.”
Woods ended more than two years without a victory when he birdied the final two holes of the Chevron World Challenge in California last Sunday.
It was the 93rd win of the 35-year-old’s professional career – 14 of them majors.
He and Donald, who has been at the top of the rankings since beating previous incumbent Lee Westwood in a play-off for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, will next be competing against each other in the Abu Dhabi Championship next month.
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