A fascinating new book from golf journalist Alan Shipnuck has pulled back the curtain on Rory McIlroy’s close bond with Tiger Woods – and it turns out the friendship came with some rather inconvenient timing.
In ‘Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar’, McIlroy reveals that Woods would send him messages at ungodly hours.
“He’d be texting me at four o’clock in the morning: ‘Up lifting. What are you doing?'” McIlroy recalled.
His wife Erica Stoll wasn’t exactly thrilled about the late-night interruptions.
Rory McIlroy admitted Tiger Woods’ late-night texts would get under Erica Stoll’s skin
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“Erica actually got p****d off with it,” McIlroy admitted. “He was texting me in the middle of the night and I was like, ‘Tiger is in the gym.'”
The Northern Irishman grew up idolising Woods before the pair became mates after McIlroy joined the PGA Tour.
Their relationship eventually turned into a business partnership too, with the duo launching TGL in 2022 alongside sports executive Mike McCarley.
Back in 2017, Woods was battling through a difficult period with his body, undergoing his fourth back operation that year.
McIlroy explained that his friend’s sleep troubles stemmed from pushing himself too hard in training.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are also business partners as well as friends
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“He struggles to sleep, which I think is an effect of over-training, so I tell him to calm down sometimes,” McIlroy said of Woods at the time.
Woods made a stunning return to form after his surgery, with his remarkable resurgence reaching its peak at the 2019 Masters.
That triumph at Augusta National was his fifth Green Jacket and 15th major overall, ending an 11-year wait since his 2008 US Open victory.
McIlroy would go on to follow in his idol’s footsteps in brilliant fashion.
Twelve months ago, the Northern Irishman claimed his own Masters title after an 11-year gap without a major championship.
That long-awaited win was extra special as it completed the career Grand Slam, putting him in the same elite company as his friend and mentor.
McIlroy has enjoyed another cracking year on the course, with the highlight being his successful defence of the Masters title.
Rory McIlroy defended his Masters crown this year
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Claiming a second consecutive Green Jacket has only strengthened his standing in major championship golf.
The Northern Irishman has opted for a lighter schedule this season, choosing to focus on the biggest events rather than playing every week.
It’s an approach that reflects his long-term thinking about managing his career at the highest level.
With the Scottish Open and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on the horizon, McIlroy is among the favourites to add yet another major to his collection.