The pairings and tee times are set for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with the featured group of Tiger Woods, Rory Mcllroy, and Luke Donald sure to take center stage for at least the first two days.
Question: Luke Donald raised some eyebrows at the end of last year, identifying Rory McIlroy as having the most talent he had ever seen, more even than you in your prime; I just wondered if you could talk to whether you see Rory as the most talented player you've ever seen, and also how you see Luke Donald's accomplishments and whether he deserves his world No. 1 ranking, despite not having won a major?
TIGER WOODS: Well, you don't have to win a major to become the No. 1 player in the world; you have to be consistent. You have to play well in the big events, and it's about accumulating points. That's how the system has developed. But as far as being the most talented player, I think the most talented player that I've ever seen in person was Seve. Never seen a person do the things with the golf ball that he was able to do and the creativeness that he was able to do. To me, he certainly had the most talent that I had ever seen in person. I had never saw Hogan hit a golf ball. Never saw Mr.Nelson hit a golf ball. I never saw Jack in his prime. But I did see Seve when I first came out here, and I was able to play with him a few times; it was impressive.
Other notable pairings include the group of Jason Day, Darren Clarke, and Alvaro Quiros, as well as Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, and Lee Westwood.
