World number two Rory McIlroy has announced he is looking forward to teeing off at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship today (February 22nd) as it gives him and his fellow competitors the chance to take part in something different.
The young Northern Irishman - who triumphed by a stunning eight shots in last year's
US Open - revealed he understands why the format is popular among
golf fans across the globe as it encourages them to expect the unexpected.
McIlroy went on to say the match play tournament has a habit of catching players unaware on some occasions, highlighting the importance of starting off aggressively from the opening round.
The 22-year-old will put this to the test tomorrow as he goes up against South Africa's George Coetzee - who has showed off his impressive form on a number of occasions in 2012 so far.
"I don't mind losing a match if you don't play well and you don't deserve to win," commented McIlroy. "[But] when you feel like you have done all you can and still come up on the wrong side, it's pretty tough to take sometimes."
In what could be a life-changing tournament for McIlroy, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship could see him reach the top of the world rankings if he manages to win and Englishman
Luke Donald falls at the first or second hurdle.
Meanwhile, Northern Irishman
Darren Clarke and fellow major champion YE Yang are set to toast the fifth anniversary of the Ballantine's Championship by taking part in the competition at the Blackstone Golf Club from April 26th.
The pair will take on world number eight
Adam Scott - who is set to appear at the event for the first time - as well as US professional Dustin Johnson, who finished in fourth position at the hotly-contested tournament in 2011.
Unveiled today, the star-studded field has highlighted the growing interest in the competition among the world's biggest players.
Christian Porta, chief executive of Chivas Brothers, said: "The Ballantine's Championship has truly established itself as one of Asia's biggest golf tournaments by continuing to attract the world's best players."
"We are delighted to support this prestigious event as part of our long-term investment in world class golf."
Yang will be hoping to impress his fans on home soil at the upcoming event, having missed out on the chance to take part in the past two competitions.
