Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy joined forces during a practice round at Augusta National on Monday ahead of The Masters - and unsurprisingly the two biggest stars in golf attracted thousands of spectators.
Woods and McIlroy went out off the 10th tee under overcast skies alongside former Masters champion Fred Couples and South Korea's Tom Kim.
The group were cheered at every turn, with perhaps the loudest when they opted to partake in a Masters practice-round tradition and tried in unison to purposefully skip their balls across the pond at the par-three 16th.
Woods, a 15-time major champion, won the last of his five Masters titles in 2019 when the American completed a remarkable comeback from injuries and highly-publicised personal issues. Since a serious car crash in February 2021, the 47-year-old has played a severely limited schedule, appearing mainly in the major tournaments and made his comeback at the 2022 Masters where he made the cut.
McIlroy, meanwhile, is one of the leading forces in world golf, and the world No 2 is once again among the favourites to secure the Green Jacket this week.
The Northern Irishman, 33, is seeking to become just the sixth player in history to complete the Grand Slam of all four majors and last year finished runner-up behind champion Scottie Scheffler. In 14 visits to Augusta National, McIlroy has placed in the top five a further three times and inside the top 10 in half of his Masters.
McIlroy will hope to emulate Sergio Garcia by winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Masters in the same season, the Spaniard completing the double in 2017. McIlroy won his third Desert Classic in January by one shot ahead of Patrick Reed.
Woods and McIlroy practice round at The Masters
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Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods shake hands on the 18th green during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP -
Tiger Woods putts on the 16th green during a practice round ahead of The Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club. EPA -
Tom Kim, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy skim the ball across the pond on the 16th during a practice round. Reuters -
Tiger Woods plays a shot during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. AFP -
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, and Fred Couples sign a pin flag for Ashley Kim, winner of the 7-9 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship. AFP -
Tiger Woods' bag during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. AFP -
Rory McIlroy plays a shot from a bunker on the 16th hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament. AFP -
Rory McIlroy walks on the 15th hole during a practice for The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. AP -
Rory McIlroy on the 13th fairway during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. AFP -
Tom Kim hits his tee shot on the 14th during a practice round as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods look on. Reuters
