Open Champion Darren Clarke has been paired with his good friend Tiger Woods in the American's comeback week, in the first two rounds of the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.
The two former winners will tee off at 1.40pm local time in the opening round at the Firestone Country Club in Akron on Thursday and at 9.50am in the second round on Friday.
Given that Woods texted Clarke to give him encouragement as he tried to win his first Major Championship at Royal St George’s, the possibility of pairing the duo was too good to resist for the organisers as the American makes his competitive return after 12 weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury.
“It'll be great,” said Clarke. “Tiger has been the best player in the world for a very long time. He has been the guy certainly over my career that has set the benchmark for all the rest of us, and personally he's a good friend of mine.
“It is fantastic, I think, for all of world golf just to see Tiger Woods back playing again. I'm sure he will be trying to get himself back up to where he has been before, and personally I don't doubt he'll do that. But for us to have a chance to compete against him again can only be good for the game in general. So I think it's wonderful to see him back.”
Asked why he and Woods were such close friends, the Ulsterman had the media centre interview room in stitches when he proclaimed, “Easy, similar build, similar colour, similar stature!”
However, the 42 year old went on to explain. “We just got on really well. He sort of got my sense of humour and I got his, and it was all those years ago we played first together in 1996 when he was still an amateur and when I was still with Butch.
“We also spent a bit of time together in Vegas. I give him a little bit of stick and what have you. I don't think anybody gave him that much stick and I think he liked it. But no, he's been a very, very good friend to me over a very long period of time. I've got no idea why, but we just get on very well.”
Elsewhere, in an intriguing first round draw, World Number One Luke Donald partners Masters champion Charl Schwartzel while World Number Two Lee Westwood, who a year ago had to pull out of the tournament with a leg injury, is with Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell.
Rory McIlroy, McDowell's successor as US Open champion, plays with defending champion Hunter Mahan in his first start in the United States since his eight-shot success in at Congressional in June while Martin Kaymer, who will defend his US PGA Championship crown at Atlanta Athletic Club next week, opens up in partnership with the man he beat in the play-off for that title, American Bubba Watson.
