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Irish Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Eddie Jordan's true character shone through as he doubled Tiger Woods' rent
Formula One legend Eddie Jordan once doubled Tiger Woods' rent when he stayed at his house - but all was not as it seemed. Woods, a three-time Open champion, is currently out of the game as he recuperates from an operation. The golf legend, with 15 major titles to his name, had a memorable encounter with former F1 team boss Jordan before the 2006 World Match Play Championship at Wentworth in Surrey. Initially hesitant to lend his property to Woods and his entourage, Jordan, who sadly passed away in March after a fight with cancer, had a change of heart. In a savvy move, he doubled the rent but donated the proceeds to two charities. "Though Tiger's management company, IMG, had offered to pay us £15,000 (€17k) for the week, I later told them the price was double that," Jordan recounted to the Irish Independent in 2009. "Then I requested that two cheques be written for £15,000 each, one made out to the Tiger Woods Foundation and the other to my charity CLIC (Cancel Leukaemia in Children). "When I told Tiger what I had done, he thought it was classic. A great move. He loved it. Then I explained that this was normal practice in motor racing." It seems Woods' caddie Steve Williams, a fan of Jordan's motorsport legacy, played a part in connecting the two icons. Jordan's autobiography revealed that Woods arrived alongside his wife, caddie, housekeeper and chef. Woods stayed in Jordan's home for the tournament in 2006 (Image:) The property being let out meant Jordan and his wife Marie had to temporarily live in their annexe. However, this arrangement gave the former F1 commentator a unique insight into Woods' meticulous approach to perfecting his game. "Tiger's dedication to the game is extraordinary," Jordan wrote in his autobiography, An Independent Man. "He practised on the fifth green, which is nearby, and insisted that he hit 100 five-foot putts before he could leave. If he missed one, he would do another 100. He just kept knocking them in. "By this stage, he had a huge following of admirers. It was amusing to watch what happened when he finally walked off the green and disappeared into the trees. "People assumed he had gone for a pee. Little did they realise that he was heading for the back gate of our house, through which he would disappear, not to be seen until the match itself. That was one of the reasons why he liked to stay in a local house rather than a hotel." Woods has not played competitively since The Open in 2024 (Image:) Injuries have hampered Woods' career in recent times. He underwent back surgery last September before suffering an ACL injury in March. Whilst Woods began this year by participating in the new TGL format, his most recent tournament outing was at The Open in 2024, where he missed the cut. After his second round at Royal Troon last year, Woods said: "I've always loved playing major championships. I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors. "Obviously it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow. I just never did, and consequently my results and scores were pretty high."
Irish Daily Mirror
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Paul McGinley makes honest admission as he opens up on biggest regret of career
Dublin-born golf star Paul McGinley has candidly expressed that his defeat in the World Match Play Championship final remains the "biggest regret" of his illustrious career. Despite being a four-time European Tour winner, McGinley, 58, still feels the sting from the Surrey-based Match Play tournament, which boasted a whopping £1 million prize pot and ran until 2014. The 2005 final saw McGinley's erratic driving give the upper hand to New Zealand's Michael Campbell, resulting in a 2&1 loss for the Irishman, despite having overcome players such as Luke Donald and Angel Cabrera to put himself in contention. In a chat on the Sliced Podcast in March, Ryder Cup icon McGinley reflected on the nuances between match play and stroke play, as well as his lingering sentiments about the match from two decades ago, as per Belfast Live. "I felt if the world of professional golf was 99 per cent matchplay golf rather than stroke-play, I feel I would've had a better career," he admitted. "I was good head-to-head, I understand moments, I love the cut and thrust of looking your opponent in the eye, playing with him. In a lot of ways I enjoy playing against an opponent rather than the golf course. "I found it hard to concentrate for 72 holes and my matchplay record was very good, not just in the Ryder Cup. Even the World Matchplay. "I got beaten in the final one year [2005] - the one time I got to it, by Michael Campbell, probably the biggest regret of my career. Yeah it's always something I enjoyed, and the Ryder Cup has been kind to me." McGinley is a huge name in Ryder Cup history, having made three consecutive appearances in 2002, 2004, and 2006, with Team Europe emerging victorious each time. In the 2010 and 2012 editions of the event, McGinley served as vice-captain to Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal respectively. However, it was in the 2014 Ryder Cup that he was named captain. Under his leadership, the European team defeated the American side, captained by Tom Watson, by a winning margin of 161⁄2 to 111⁄2. "I've got a lot to thank for the Ryder Cup," he added. "I've had a good career, you know, top 20 in the world, and won tournaments, but Ryder Cup, that's my brand. Would my career have gone on to what it is without the Ryder Cup? Probably not." McGinely's love for the competition is so strong that he expressed his disappointment in late 2024 after reports suggested that Team USA would share a £4 million prize pot at the 2025 tournament in New York. Traditionally, players were not paid for their participation in the Ryder Cup, yet American stars could now earn a $200,000 (€175k) stipend, and $300,000 (€262k) for them to distribute to charity, as reported by the Telegraph in November. "I personally don't like it," McGinley told Sky Sports in 2024. "I know they are professional sportsmen but, boy oh boy, are they not getting paid enough money at the moment, with all that's going on in the game?"
